“Snowplow!” Yelled a man in his thick French Canadian accent while zooming past me. I was unphased by his insult. I was just happy to be upright as I inched down a slope in Quebec, Canada.
What the ski snob didn’t know was moments earlier I was sprawling to keep from sliding off the cliff! It just so happened my cute ski outfit, which was nylon from top to bottom, didn’t offer me any traction when I started rolling toward the edge of the mountain. With all of my might, I dug my fingers into the slope. My knit gloves offered just enough friction to stop me from falling off the side.
This was many years ago while in college. It is still baffling to me that my girlfriends and I wanted to go to a colder climate during our spring recess.
Nicole Pride
In spite of myself, I made it down the mountain safely. There were so many ways in which God helped me navigate the mountain – really the entire experience.
Let me give you the backstory to my dramatic moment. You see, after a 5-minute ski “lesson” offered by the resort, we set out for our adventure. We were off to the bunny slope! When we realized the beginner’s slope was closed, that was the perfect time for one of us to say, “You know what guys, we should just enjoy some hot chocolate at the lodge.” Instead, in our naïveté, we decided to hop on the ski lift to go up the advanced slope.
I thank God there wasn’t enough room for me to get on the ski lift with my friends. Why, you ask? Midway up the mountain they realized they never lowered their lap bar! That is an important lesson all by itself. Sometimes we are meant to part ways with our posse in order to travel the path, and sometimes take the safer route, that is meant for us.
In spite of myself, I made it down the mountain safely. There were so many ways in which God helped me navigate the mountain – really the entire experience.
Soon after dismounting the ski lift, I found myself rapidly rolling toward the cliff. My friends were clueless to the real trouble I was facing. Although they were nearby, they were laughing and joking amongst themselves. Only by divine protection I was saved. (Sidebar: Could it be that while you are laughing or busy with the daily bustle that someone within your sphere of influence is struggling?)
Then, an angel appeared. A stranger took pity and gave me a proper ski lesson right on the slope! In the midst of people zooming all around us, a gentleman taught me some of the basics, including how to position my skis so that I could slow down. Yes, I snowplowed the mountain, and I was grateful for the pace.