This holiday season was very special for me and family. We had the opportunity to spend Christmas in the Swiss Alps. What a blessing it was for to have this special holiday vacation! Not to mention, the snow was a welcome sight for this Texas family.

In fact, the snow provided for most of our entertainment and recreation. Although we did not do any skiing, we did have lots of snowball fights, make lots of snow angels and, best of all, did lots of sledding.

The sled run from Murren to Gimmelwald wasn't too steep, but the sharp turns--lined with bed cushions--made for an exciting ride. The half-hour experience was quickly followed by a gondola ride back to Murren for another downhill run.

New to sledding, my four-year-old son was quite cautious when we first climbed aboard the tiny sled. "Daddy?" Caleb asked curiously, "Will we go fast?" As I wrapped my arms around him tightly, I responded, "I hope so."

As we started down the hill with nothing more than our feet to steer, Caleb grabbed tightly to my arm. I could sense some fear in his grip. I pulled him closer to me, and away we went.

Slipping, sliding, slushing. A close one here, a near miss there. Yes, even an occasional wipe out. Soon, Caleb was filled with sheer excitement. "Again Daddy! Again!" The fear was gone. Only excitement and expectation filled his mind.

When it comes to crippling fear and anxiety, we can either avoid the sleds and slopes of life, or we grab onto our Father and enjoy the ride. There is one thing that turned my son's fear into joy--trust. He trusted me. He held on for dear life, but he knew that I would not let him get hurt. His trust in me gave him the opportunity to enjoy the ride instead of fear it.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding" (Proverb 3:5).

This is my life scripture. With it, I've grabbed hold of my Father's arm, and I've begun to enjoy the ride. For years, I've been down this trail alone, and it was terrifying. But now, with my Father's arms wrapped tightly around me, I have learned to trust him through the turns, the near misses and the occasional wipe out. My fear has turned into excitement and expectation.

Blessings!

Russell

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|  Russell Pond     <><
|  Season of Peace
|  email:  ponder@season.org
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© Russell Pond 1999
Reprinted with permission