Living a Laughable Life and Other Things I've Learned: Ski boots, Curled Toes and Discouragement

A few months ago I was at a thrift store and found cross-country ski boots that were my size. I knew that I had cross-country skis in the attic and had been excited since coming home for when it would finally snow and I could use them. The boots that I had with them were about 2 sizes too small, and though they worked, they were not comfortable. I was excited to get ones where I didn’t have to curl my toes. Today when the sun came up and I was sitting by the picture window I saw the loveliest type of snow falling from the sky. I call it romantic snow. You know, the kind of snow that has big flakes and a lot of them that drifts down as if in slow motion? This friend is my favorite kind of snow. As I continued to work throughout the morning I kept seeing the sun hit the fluffy snow and I just knew that this was the day to get those skis out of the attic and into the snow.

I bundled all up in my winter clothes making sure I had a covering for my ears, 2 layers of pants in case I fell and of course a scarf and gloves. I put on my new $3.50 boots, grabbed my skis and poles and headed out the door. About a mile from the house the city has a walking trail and I thought that would be the perfect place to begin my season of Cross Country skiing. It was going to be perfect!

When I got to the trail there was no one around, which was probably good in case I lost my balance and fell. My husband made sure I had my cell phone when I left the house for just such an occasion and especially if I had hurt myself and couldn’t get up. I put the skis on the ground, lined them up and went to put my boot in the clip of the ski and it wouldn’t click. Okay, I thought, maybe there is a right and left ski and I had them backwards and so I tried the other. The same thing happened. My boot would not hook into the skis. With it 14 degrees and a wind chill of about 15 below zero, I was eager to get moving. I kept trying different things and began to get very frustrated. I think I even said out loud, “Are you kidding me? Ugg.” So with much discouragement I loaded the skis and the poles back into the van.

When I turned the ignition on, the radio had been left on and I heard the words, “That’s just the way it is. Some things will never change (you’re tellin’ me!). That’s just the way it is.” I know “things” always just happen to me but do I really need a song to remind me of that? Then the song went further and it said. “Some things will never change. BUT DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT” Yes. That’s right. I would NOT believe it. So I drove the mile home and I walked up into that attic, grabbed the boots that were two sizes too small for me and headed downstairs to take the skis out to my yard and at least ski in the back alley.

I sure was disappointed when things didn’t go my way but I refused to give up. I had a goal and I was going to ski even if it were for 5 minutes in the alley behind my house. Sometimes we have days, weeks, or even months of disappointment in our lives. It seems so much easier to give up and just throw in the towel. But we have good news, in our disappointment we have a God who lifts us up by the bootstraps, or in my case, the ski poles and says, “Don’t you give up. I’ve got your back.” Joshua 1:9 sums it up well when God speaks to Joshua as he is installed as the leader of Israel after Moses died. There were bound to be days of discouragement in leading but God said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”