Brave

We woke up that morning to find that the forest outside had been delicately sprinkled with fresh powder. The snow we long awaited had finally arrived. The boys declared it a "day of the slopes", well one slope to be exact, and we headed up to the Hume Lake snowboard run. Everyone muttered on and on about how the conditions were "perfect" and all had high expectations for the day. I was not so thrilled. If I hadn't snowed, I would not have had to face my fears. Indeed, I was terrified of snowboarding.

I am not certain if it was the unknown, the cold, or the speed; but I had avoided the skill for years. I always had some excuse for why I couldn't make the trips to Mammoth or Moutain High. Now, much to my dismay, we were all present at Winter Camp and I had no escape. We stood at the bottom on the run and I watched as fast-flying blurs passed before my eyes. (I am being dramatic of course.) I was petrified.

"Come on Anna, it's a perfect day to learn." Trevor said with much insight. He could see the lack of enthusiasm that I had tried to hard to mask. Had I not been so infatuated with him that it made it hard to breath...I might have protested. But something wreckless in me said "GO!".

"Okay." I managed to stammer back as we headed up the hill.

We climbed about half way up and stopped. Trevor said this would be a good place to learn and that if I just listened to him I would have it in "no time". By now I had already imagined a head on collison with one of the speed deamons that raced before me, a fast ride to the infimrary, and devistated parents who would shortly find out about the death of their oldest daughter. I suddenly realized that impressing and spending time with Trevor was not worth my imminent death and started to walk back down the moutnain.

"Anna, you can do this. Get back up here, I am waiting for you."

Something in his voice made me feel as though he actually desired my company and that he already deemed me to be victorious. It was as if there was no doubt at all that I was perfectly capable of conquering this mountain (this bunny slope, to be exact). And he was waiting for me! Something in Trevor that day made me want to be brave.

Romans 8:11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

So, why am I still frozen by fear? The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is in me! And He actually does desire me. He has been waiting for me. He is already victorious. He does not only conquer mountains, He moves them!

I ought to be so driven by my passion for the Lord that I am willing to ride, even plummet down any slope He desires. I ought to feel confident and comforted knowing that the God of the Universe, who does not change or fail, is alive and at work in me. I ought to call in His power and trust Him with my entire being. I ought to be BRAVE.

"So long status quoe,
I think I just let go.
You make me want to be BRAVE.
The way it always was,
Is no linger good enough.
You make me want to be BRAVE."
-Nichole Nordeman