Last week, there were powerful winter storms that hit across the South. Iced bridges and light snow around town caused many cities to shut down and schools to close for a day or two. Traffic was a nightmare as many are not accustomed to driving in those type of conditions. There is something very precarious and dangerous about driving on ice. You have little to no control and it is easy to panic once you go into a skid.
Driving out to the cabin in the mountains for the week alone with God, I was unsure what kind of road conditions I would find and whether my front-wheel drive Toyota Corolla would be able to get me to my final destination. My fears were not unfounded. The isolated unpaved roads to the “neighborhood” did little to calm my fears and upon entering the private community of cabin homes, the icy, snow-packed roads, I said yet another prayer for safety.
After getting part-way up a hill, I was stuck. I was sliding backwards and sideways and I didn’t have enough traction to go forward. I was able to get stopped in the middle of the road, but was unable to go forward; backward wasn’t the best scenario either. The curve in the road I had just ascended gave little comfort for a controlled backing down the mountain. I was, thankfully, in a small pocket where there was cell service. I called my dad and talked through my options – none of which seemed very promising. We each said a prayer and I proceeded to do a three or maybe six point turn into the snowy embankment to get pointed back down the mountain and attempt a different route.
I made it back down and sought an alternate route to the cabin, all the while praying that I wouldn’t have to make yellow snow in what appeared to be an isolated location, but would surely bring the one neighbor running. I got stuck twice more before finally making it to the cabin, each time working to get a running start at the hill so that I could build enough momentum and traction to proceed.
At times, we face a mountain in our lives and not only is it a daunting climb, but the path is so slippery that we feel like any forward progress is met with backward traction. If we take a moment to remember God’s faithfulness and recognize how far we’ve come, we can get a running start and progress toward the prize for which we have been called heavenward (Philippians 3:14).
