Glimpses of God’s Sovereignty on a Ski Trip and a Grateful Heart for My School
This year, over the Christmas break, my family of 5 and I had the privilege of going to Colorado for a Ski Trip. We have made the trip to the mountains multiple times over the years, and we have a tradition that we will begin every journey with prayer, no matter where we are going. It’s nothing too profound; simply thanking God for giving us our car, health, time, and the means to get away on vacation (and maybe a request or two about peace and unity along the way so we end up with more good memories than bad ones).
Our trip started out smooth sailing. We laughed, had many fun jam-out sessions with music, slept, and made it to Amarillo to see a certain famous Beaver for a snack. About 20 minutes away from our hotel for the night, my husband, Matt, noticed our engine light came on. We immediately exited at the next “Rest Area.” My husband lifted the hood and saw smoke. We spent the next couple of hours praying we would safely make it to our destination. On one of our stops, we pulled into a fast food restaurant parking lot to add more coolant, and my kids noticed a homeless man. It was getting colder and dark, and we were just focusing on getting to our hotel, but Matt circled back and got out to give him some cash so he could go inside and pay for food and warm up. We left with a smile, knowing it was a reminder of how God does protect and provide- He is SOVEREIGN over every place we go…even when we didn’t plan on stopping there.
Eventually, we made it to the hotel, and thankfully, the next day, we had friends traveling through town who helped take our luggage carrier for us as we scrambled to get my car into the shop and find an SUV rental. I asked the kids to pray for a car, and at first, we couldn’t find any reasonably priced or available until the next day. But then, our friends found one, which happened to have a ‘flash sale,’ so the price was discounted! It was a way nicer SUV than I had, and it was available, so we thanked God, and I was again reminded that He is SOVEREIGN and of the verse from Matthew 7:11 that says, “How much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” We asked for a car, and he gave us a brand-new bougie ride.
During the second part of our ski trip, I was impacted by our friends, and it was a beautiful reminder of how God has provided rich friendships for our family by being a part of CCA. Spending a week with like-minded moms and dads doing their best to raise Jesus-loving, kind, respectful, creative, and smart people (or ones who pick up their wet towels off the floor!) together is a gift. Being in a community has so many benefits; we had people to pray with, friends to help take our load, and others to share the cooking and cleaning. We literally picked each other up from falls on the ski slopes and encouraged each other to keep going. My kids had a blast playing, building snow forts, and skiing with others, and again, God whispered to me, “I am SOVEREIGN,” even over who I place in your path and who I surround you with in life. “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul” Proverbs 27:9.
Colorado didn’t get much snow, but a friend showed us a picture from last year when huge snowflakes were coming down. We were in awe of the beauty and detail of this one they captured. Again, it is a reminder that every single snowflake is crafted and created uniquely, and again, a reminder of how SOVEREIGN our God is.
The last two reminders of God’s sovereignty came as I was skiing. Once, our oldest son Reid, a Sophomore, mentioned that he would tell Mrs. Wimmer about this trip when he returned to English class. When I asked why, he said he kept thinking about all the similarities of the novel they read called “Dante’s Inferno,” and I can’t blame him. There were obvious connections, considering we were at a ski resort called “Purgatory” and half the mountain’s ski runs are named after hell (Demon, Sheol, Hades, Pandemonium, you get the point…) and half are named after heaven (Easy way down, Paradise, Exodus, Mercy, Angels Tread, and Path to Peace). It was a fun reminder of a teacher’s impact on a teenage boy’s worldview and many deep conversations we shared because of his education at Covenant. God reminded me on the ski lift that not only is He going to be the one to shepherd my children’s hearts along the way, but He can use books and anything in his creation to increase our children’s faith as well- He is SOVEREIGN.
Lastly, not a day went by that someone didn’t comment on how hard it was to get ready and how exhausting it was to get all the ski gear on and make it on the lift. God impressed me with how this difficulty relates to the journey of motherhood. It’s okay to feel like it may not be worth the hard work for only a few moments of fun or enjoyment (like all the hassle of gearing up to ski with only a few actual moments of skiing). The view at the top of the lift, the one you would miss out on if you quit, is like the moments we see glimpses of our children being who God called them to be, being the one who steps up to defend their belief, hold a door or serve someone without being asked, prays for someone, speaks truth or encouragement, the list goes on….). I don’t need to tell you how much being a mom and a keeper of the home is unappreciated and exhausting work. But I do need to remind you that the view and the perspective we can choose to have when we persevere is worth it- again, God is SOVEREIGN over our role as mothers.
I’ll end with the words I shouted at my three children before being the “caboose” for a challenging ski run. I hope we all apply this advice to our daily lives for 2025; “Follow your Father, and you’ll be ok!”
I’ll be praying for our CCA family to seek the path to peace and hold tight to the Father’s hand as we trust in Him. He is sovereign, He sees you, and He loves you.