A friend of mine was recently on a mission trip.  She shared with me a beautiful picture of what God was doing with her on that trip that has stuck with me, encouraged me, and inspired my prayers, so I wanted to share it with you, too.

She has been skiing with her family for decades.  Every year, they go to the same resort, and every year, she skis the same blue-square runs, never facing new challenges, never getting better.  Before the trip, her faith had been like that, too.  Although she’s been a faithful Christian for years, she was stuck in a rut, doing the same things, avoiding challenges, comfortable with being comfortable.  She really didn’t even want to go on this mission trip, which promised to make her uncomfortable and to stretch her, but for a lack of a good excuse not to, decided to go for it.

God, being God, was faithful, filling her time of new experiences, new obstacles, new ways of seeing God at work in the world, and loving more of His people.  She felt like God was giving her a ski lesson, equipping her for more than the old and familiar.  Now she’s asking what new, potentially-black-diamond runs He has for her life.  I’m excited for her to find more of God and for the ways He will use her as she explores new terrain.  As I pray she will find and follow His new paths for her, I’m also asking Him for eyes to see them in my own life.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me…  Psalm 143:10

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  John 14:12, 26