Learning to Ski and Trust

I grew up in a long line of water skiers. I’m not sure exactly how midwest Mennonites learned how to water ski, but it was a kind of heritage passed down to me. My grandfather loved to ski, my father loved to ski, and I loved to ski.

I actually still ski. This was me 8 years ago. I think it was the last time I was on a water ski. So, maybe technically I don’t still ski, but I tell myself I could still go out and do that today!

I became a pretty good water skier, especially around my college years and early adulthood. But, I wasn’t always a good skier. I had to learn. I have very strong memories of me as boy learning to ski. I remember being in the water and having these two big skis on. The skis flopped around awkwardly in the water.

I couldn’t control the skis, so my dad had to be in the water with me to help me get them on and then to hold them straight when the boat took off so it could pull me out of the water. We both had to be in the water like that, until I was big enough and strong enough to be in the water on my own and hold the skis together on my own.

There was a kind of "allusion of control” when my dad was still in the water with me, as I held my skis up straight, it felt like I was in control. But, in reality it was my dad behind me holding the skis straight. There was also this deep sense of safety even when doing what seemed like a dangerous thing.

You know, letting a giant powerful boat pull you up out of the water by a rope floating on top of pieces of wood. Totally normal to let little kids do that. But, there was this sense of safety. My dad was in the water with me, so things were going to be ok. He would protect me and help me.

The more I struggled against him, the more difficult it was to get going on those skis. The more I learned to sit back, relax, and trust him the easier it got to become a water skier. The easier it became to learn and grow.

This isn’t a perfect analogy, but for some reason, that is how I kinda pictured the Israelites as I've been studying through the book of Exodus. They are awkwardly learning what it means to trust God, their heavenly father. They mess up a lot. They struggle and fight against him way too much.

It even feels like they have an allusion of control over their lives, but in reality it is God that is holding them straight. It is God who is protecting them and keeping them safe out in the wilderness. It is God who can be trusted to save them in all their battles against their enemies. It is the same for us today. The more we can trust him the more we can learn and grow in grace. He has already won the war against our great enemies: sin, Satan, and death by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So, we can rest and trust in him alone to save us!