For the Spring Break of 2018, my family and I decided to go skiing. I had not been skiing in so long – about 20 years to be exact. I was nervous as to how I, my husband and our four kids would handle it.
Here are some things that I learned.
Skiing taught me faith over fear. You may have heard this phrase at church or in other blogs. When I got off the lift at the top of the mountain, the mounds of snow and the steepness of the mountain became a concern for me. For a minute, fear had taken over and thoughts that were absolutely paralyzing entered my brain – will I get down, what if I get separated from my family, etc. “Faith over fear” I told myself, as I got up, got back on my skis and made it down. Thoughts of fear can do just that - Fear has an incredible ability to thwart potential, to keep us from launching out, to prevent us from achieving our goals. This was a good reminder of Luke 12:22-36 - “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
Skiing builds confidence. To see the progression of my children skiing was amazing. The first day, my oldest daughter had tears in her eyes after falling and getting up multiple times. By the end of the second day, she had the confidence in herself to make it down. I wonder if successful people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Sheryl Sandburg skied as children?
You don’t have to spend a fortune to ski. New Mexico has affordable places to ski that are less than resorts in other states. However, the snow may be manufactured. After not skiing for 20 years, I was not picky. But a seasoned skier may be. We went to a place called Sipapu. It was a family-friendly ski resort. For a family of six, it worked well. Lots of other Texans have discovered Sipapu, the parking lot was covered with Texas license plates.
Skiing taught me that I need to be in better shape. Did I mentioned that I hadn’t skied in 20 years? Just bending over and putting on ski boots had me breathing hard. I need to eat better and get to the gym.
Skiing is exhilarating. It was a great feeling going up the lift, making it down the mountain. It was great to see myself, my husband and children succeed at something they haven’t done, or done in a long time. I hope to do it again soon!