Hi friends! Welcome my sweet friend Alyson today as she shares a little bit with you……Alyson has been such an encouragement to my soul over the last 6 years. Hope you enjoy getting to know her!
I was perched on top of a ski run in Colorado, staring down the Cheshire Cat. No, not the character in “Alice in Wonderland,” but the slope named after the cat, because the run is cunning and unpredictable. My family roped me in to going down a blue/black diamond, also known as an advanced intermediate run. I am past the beginner stage in skiing, however I am not quite to a point in my skiing “career” where I would be totally comfortable on this “advanced intermediate” run.
My uncle, brother, and husband all believed in my skills. Yet as I stood at the top of the run, peering down from my safe perch, every bit of confidence left my body. I watched my 10-year-old cousin zipping down the hill, and I imagined what a total fool I would look like in his eyes if I sat down atop my skis and slid down the hill on my backside.
So I pushed off and began my descent – slowly, methodically, did I mention slowly? Soon enough, I found myself halfway down the toughest run I had ever attempted. I slid to a stop near my brother, who was there cheering me on, and I caught my breath. “Look back at what you just accomplished!” he shouted to me. I turned and stared back at the giant, steep hill and felt exhilarated!
I skied down my toughest run ever, and survived with no injuries.
“Now,” my brother started, “this next part of the run will be a little tougher…”
“Wait a minute!” I said. “I have more to ski?!”
Life feels this way. We finally make it through a tough season – illness, financial difficulty, marital or parenting issues, or work conflict. Only we find waiting for us on the other side of our difficulty is something even more difficult!
We are never promised an easy life, are we?
We are, however, promised trials and tribulations in our lives (John 16:33, James 1:2). In addition, we are promised the gifts of wisdom, comfort, and love from our Heavenly Father when we seek Him during those seasons.
When we take God at His word, we’ll notice a shift in our situation. The tides will turn, and we’ll get a chance to take a breather. We’ll feel a gentle nudge in our hearts, and God will whisper, “Now turn around and look what we have accomplished!” And in that moment, you will remember where you started – peering down that slope of doctor’s appointments, bad news, stacks of bills – but you will also stare in amazement at where you currently stand and what you have just accomplished.
“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
James 1:2
Every trial we encounter in our lives will provide endurance for us to tackle the next trial. We are encouraged to press on through whatever may come our way because we have a past experience to remember God’s faithfulness in our lives. When we hear someone says, “Now, this next part will be a little tougher,” we will be able to face it head on and with a bit more confidence than when we started.
XOXO
Alyson
What Alyson shared is spot on! Life is hard, and when we think we conquer one hill, we find another one on the other side. What mountains are you facing in your life today?
How have you been enjoying the prayer challenge this month? I’ve so loved hearing from many of you about prayer requests! If you haven’t downloaded your copy, grab one HERE!
Next week I’ve got GIVEAWAYS for you!!!! Stay tuned and be sure to share with your friends 🙂 Don’t forget to share this post on Pinterest by clicking the icon over the photo!
