Drop One

“When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolation cheers my soul.”  Psalm 94:19

Growing up in my small hometown, our family’s favorite recreational activity was water skiing.  We spent every weekend hauling our boat, The Sandikay, (named for each one of us girls) back and forth to Lake Seminole!  A group of friends and family always met at the dock on the lake.

We all skied, but it soon became a goal for all of us to learn to slalom.  We were taught to get up on two skis, get balance and prepare, wiggle one foot almost out of the ski you are preparing to drop, then drop that ski (or just let it go) when you passed the dock.  As you passed the dock, the crowd went wild with support and cheers!  One of the group would swim out and retrieve the dropped ski. If all went as planned and you stayed up, you were slaloming!  If you fell, you started all over again!  The art of getting up on a slalom is a slightly different story, but it was achieved as well!

It’s been years since I’ve skied, but I remember vividly the feeling of gliding along waters as smooth as glass, crossing the wake, and taking on wakes made by passing boats!  I remember laughing with whomever was skiing next to me (sometimes 4 of us) and the joyous feeling of fresh air and water.

Our Mama was a beautiful skier, and she was always the one in the water with us giving instructions.  I can’t even guess how many kids she tutored.  Her instructions were always the same – bend your knees, hold your skis together, lean back and let the boat pull you up,  and above all, if you fall, let go of the rope!!  There were several instances of people not listening to the last one.

These instructions apply to life as well.  Sometimes, I forget to just lean back and let God pull me up or out of whatever stressful or confusing situation in which I might find myself.  Often, I don’t drop one of the burdens I am carrying, and I don’t trust God to retrieve and handle it.  I also tend to hold on to things when I should just let go!  When I think of things that weigh me down, I try to remember the sense of freedom I felt when I just dropped one!  It’s almost as if God himself is cheering!!

“Some think holding on to something makes us strong, but sometimes it is the letting go.”  Hermann Husse

(The picture is of Randy tutoring Coop!  It worked for a minute!)