“Yet I am always with you; you hold me
by my right hand.”
(Psalm 73:23 NIV)
Sarah
Young wrote, “You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of
today.”
During a
ski trip in 1998 I read the fourth chapter of Proverbs in my Bible and penciled
a note in the margin next to verse 25 – “Stay out of the trees!”
“Let
your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”
(Proverbs
4:25 NIV)
Boundaries
are essential on ski resort runs. I learned to snow ski in the Austrian Alps. Water-skiing
in my early teens behind my grandmother’s 10-horse-power motorboat persuaded me
to imagine I could easily master snow slopes. Was I wrong! Skiing on snow requires
different techniques from those practiced on water skis behind a boat.
One winter
afternoon I skied with my Austrian friend’s father. I’ll never forget the look
on his face when I slipped past him over a snow-covered ledge into the trees. I
precariously hung onto a branch until he rescued me.
When our
children were young, my husband and I took them on snow-ski vacations during
spring break. They gradually progressed from the bunny slopes in Taos, New
Mexico to the intermediate blues and diamond blacks in Park City and Powder
Mountain, Utah. We enjoyed navigating the snowy paths together, always
observing fixed, tree-lined boundaries.
God
created borders in this life for our own good. Every day has a new set of limitations
I should observe. If I push through or step over them, I will inevitably slide
out from under His protective umbrella. I must be aware of what my restrictions
are and work diligently to stay within them.
I will discipline
myself to remain within the boundaries that God has laid out for me. I hope you
will too!
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