In the Nest or Not—It’s All Part of the Plan

Speaking of birds—outside our kitchen window is a big old apple tree.  In that tree hangs a large bird house.  It was a father and son project years ago.  It’s been mended many times by the father part of the team.  Last year it blew apart in the wind.  This year my husband cleaned out past nesting materials, nailed the bottom back on, repainted it with a fresh coat of bright red paint and secured it to the tree.  He wanted to make sure that our yearly bird visitors would have a better experience this season.   Over the years it’s been the starter home for several batches of starlings.  Through the nesting season we have a good time observing mom and dad starling wear themselves to a frazzle. We watch them feather the nest, keep those eggs warm, search out and bring home worm after worn after worm, and conduct flying lessons, all the while keeping the neighbor’s cat at bay. By the time they all abandon the nest for the season the babies look pretty perky, but the parents look incredibly haggard. They’ve given it their all—that’s what starlings do.

One evening recently my daughter pointed out a nest that has been built this spring in the flowering pear tree next to her front porch.  The very next day there were three blue eggs in the nest with a mother robin perched on top.  During the night there was a tremendous wind that not only blew away the blossoms on all the trees but took down shingles and pieces of siding from homes in the neighborhood.  That mother robin was not going anywhere though.  No amount of opposition was going to cause her to leave her post.  My grandkids were concerned and checked on her through the night.  She was immovable!

I’ve been thinking about these bird parents lately and their diligence and wholehearted dedication to provide for and nurture their children.  It’s an inspiring thing to observe. It’s a part of who they are.  It’s a part of their very nature. They came that way. I’ve also been thinking about my own experience as a parent and how excruciatingly hard it is to let go when the providing and nurturing days are over.  I’ve been thinking about my friends who have young adult children who are struggling for their lives. The advice they receive over and over again is that they have to let go—they have to cut the strings! We all know that further growth can come to our grown children only as we stop bringing home the “worms” and hold a “graduation from flight school,” no matter how great or small their altitude.

Knowing that, my heart still returns to the mother robin and her windy night vigil.  In my office hangs a wonderful drawing of a woman holding her baby in protective arms.  The look in her eyes says, “Don’t you even think of harming my child.” I love that picture.  It’s the way I feel to this day—five married kids and fourteen grandchildren down the road.

Today is Mother’s Day.  In my life and in my work I am surrounded by mothers and fathers struggling to let go of adult children. Letting go is not easy. That’s the understatement of the year. It may be what we’re called to do now, but it seems completely counter to the devotion we were called to then. If it seems hard it’s because it is.  We come by the struggle rightfully.  We are the mother robin who would risk life and limb for her babies. We are that haggard father bird at the end of a very long season. It’s who we are.  It’s the way we came.

I want you to know that I honor each of you and your struggle.  I believe our Heavenly Parents have the greatest compassion for those of us who are at the “letting go” part of life.  They’re grateful for every windy night you stayed perched on that nest and for every worm you brought home to hungry mouths. They know!  What the Lord is asking us to do today is not simply to let go but to go and let Him take over where we left off.

As one who could never imagine giving my chicks the boot and leaving the perch, and who is doing so kicking and screaming, I will share that peace comes to me only when I imagine that in letting go I am placing each of my children in the hands of the Lord, in His nest, and under His very capable wing.

By Nannette W.

Posted Sunday, May 13, 2012

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.  This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

Bird-Legs or Wings—Which Will It Be?

I love birds. I think it’s because they’re the only wild creations I can see every day.  I don’t have to go to a zoo or an animal refuge.  All I have to do is keep my eyes open and my ears tuned in.  Years ago I bought a book with pictures and descriptions of all the plants and animals natural to North America.  I bring it on vacations and every time I see a bird I haven’t seen before I record the date and place in the book next to the picture and description.  Though I’m fascinated by all birds, I have grown extremely fond of some of them.  The ones I love most are the ones who have talked to me—not in what the ornithologist might consider bird-calls.  My favorite feathered friends are the ones the Lord has used to call to me.

Take for instance the quail.  Its spring and they are all about the neighborhood.  They’re very cute.  They’ve got that decorative little feather right on the top of their noggins.  They hang together in bunches, families I suppose.  But the thing that draws me to the quail is the way they behave.  They remind me of me (and of you actually).  Have you ever noticed that they do a lot more jogging than flying?  They run, run, run until a car screeches or a child screams by on a bicycle or a toddler tries to chase them down.  Then they do a bit of flying.  Just a bit—not too much mind you—just enough to set them on a fence post or on the rain gutter of my house.  No soaring for them.  Just enough lift to get them temporarily out of harm’s way.  Then it’s back to moving those little bird legs just as fast as they can go.

Me too! I admit it.  So often I run, run, run to the point of exhaustion, fear and anxiety, forgetting entirely that the Lord has promised that, “… they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles” (Isaiah 40:31).  Like the quail, I run until I have no choice but to turn to the Lord and finally take flight.  I run until I’m scared into flying.

In recovery we discover gospel principles that teach us to “wait upon the Lord” instead of running about taking matters into our own hands.  We learn to fly.  We discover our wings.  In the beginning, like the quail, we do a lot more jogging than flying.  Our understanding about wings and heavenly altitude is new.  With continued practice we grow more and more accustomed to using our wings instead of our little bird legs.  In fact, with a little time we come to realize that with the Lord we can fly at all times.

Tolstoy said it this way, “Jesus Christ teaches men that there is something in them which lifts them above this world with its hurries, its pleasures, and fears.  He who understands Christ’s teachings feels like a bird that did not know it had wings and now suddenly realizes that it can fly, be free and no longer heeds to fear.”

The transformation from quail to eagle takes a lot of practice, maybe a lifetime of practice.  The Lord often reminds me, “Nannette, with me you can fly!!!”  But my name and today’s date is still right there in my bird book next to the little insecure quail.  Every once in a while the Lord gives me a taste for soaring and eagles wings.  It fills me with yearning for and a vision of the day when I do not ever ever vacillate.

What I have to do is take that yearning and my developing taste for flight and get practical.  I ask the Lord to help me make progress.  I ask Him to help me spend more and more time in the air and less and less time on the ground.  I ask Him to help me remember I can fly, and He does.  Then He reminds me that though the power is His, the choice is mine. So which will it be Nannette—Bird-Legs or Wings?  That’s what I have to ask myself every morning and every hour of the day.

By Nannette W.

Posted Saturday, April 28, 2012

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.  This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

“The Lion and the Lamb” – Step 3 Trust in God

Several weeks ago my aunt called early one morning to request our prayers in behalf of her grandson.  He had been enjoying his missionary preparation day at a local zoo in Guatemala and was in the process of taking a photo of his fellow missionaries from what seemed to be a great vantage point. As he stood on a high wall in front of the lion’s cage two lions reached through the bars and he was brutally attacked.  Doctors have worked round the clock trying to save his life and his arm if possible.

I’ve had two recovery thoughts in connection with this event. My first thought is in regard to my cousin’s first words after the attack.  They were, “Please don’t tell my mother and please don’t send me home.”  Bless his heart, but he couldn’t keep this news from his dear mother and he certainly was powerless to determine where he would be sent. When we absolutely know we are powerless, our trust in God and God’s helpers becomes a necessity. I was reminded that none of us can forever keep our difficult situations a secret from those whose prayers we need, and none of us can predict where the Lord will send us for further healing and growth.

My second thought came shortly after hearing of this young man’s critical condition.  I was attending an LDS Addiction Recovery meeting, and I decided to share about my cousin.  At the conclusion of my sharing I said, “There is no group of people anywhere who understand what it is like to get too close to the lion’s cage than the people in this room.  We have all been there.”  It became very still in the room. The air was thick with love and understanding and compassion.  My friends in recovery know!  They know not only that they have done very risky things too, but that there isn’t a soul on earth who hasn’t placed themselves in grave danger at one time or another.  It’s true that we don’t always get caught. A friend of mine told me that his son also served his mission in Guatemala and had apparently visited the same zoo. After hearing the news of my cousin’s situation his dad asked him if he had stood on that same wall to take a photo and he replied, “I take the fifth.”

I came away from the meeting knowing that the most important thing isn’t to waste precious time and energy judging each other’s close calls with physical or spiritual danger.  The critical thing is to come to know is that there is no lion in our lives or in anyone else’s life more powerful than Heavenly Father’s Lamb.

This week on the ten o’clock news they aired an interview with my cousin.  I was deeply moved as he spoke of his experience and showed his scars. He was not hesitant to allow the public to observe the reality that after more surgeries than anyone should have to endure, he chose to sacrifice his arm.  The Spirit reminded me that in order to make progress toward our full potential we will all be called upon to make courageous sacrifices, to surrender things that are very difficult and even painful to let go of, in order to ultimately receive the greater blessings that Lord has in store for us.  Anyone who has worked through the 12 Steps and the process that brings recovery from addiction or from any of life’s struggles knows the sacrifice required.

As I watched the news that night I looked in his eyes and observed his spirit. I could tell that this is not the end of his life. It’s not the end of his mission.  It is just the beginning.  No matter how difficult the situation, the sacrifices we make in order to choose life, always bring new life!  The Lord promises that, “all things work together for good to then that love God” (Romans 8:28). Our challenge is to take the lord at his word.  He says all things!  If we are willing to follow Him like a lamb there are no exceptions, no matter what the lion in our lives may be!!!

By Nannette W.

Posted Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Copyright 2011 by Nannette W. All right reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.  This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

 

“Fly Little Bird!” –Step 12 Service

“There’s a bird somewhere in my house,” my mother’s voice trembled.I hung up the phone and my daughter and I went to see what could be done.My mother was terribly frightened at having a wild creature captive in her territory, and I believe the bird was just as scared as Mom.I admit I was a bit frightened myself. We entered the house tentatively and quickly located a young robin on top of a tall book case.The bird was very reluctant to accept our assistance.We talked to the frightened thing as though it were a lost puppy or a child.“Come on little bird.It’s OK.” We opened the sliding glass door so he could escape and then coaxed him to fly toward it, but he flew into the window, bumped his little noggin, and retreated immediately to his library perch.We convinced him to try again. This time he flew out the sliding glass door and onto the covered deck.For several minutes he wandered about, not flying, but walking, hiding under chairs and exercise equipment.Finally he took flight.As he spread his baby wings and headed enthusiastically into the blue sky and toward the lovely park across the street we were thrilled.

Being a support to someone struggling with addiction is much like being called into such a situation. Like the bird, the addict is terrified of the circumstance they have created, so terrified that their behavior becomes very threatening to those with whom they share their lives.

As we open the door to freedom and show them the way to it, those in dangerous captivity and full of fear do not fly free immediately.They often leave their deadly perch and dart about the room.Out of terror and misunderstanding and the desire to find their own way, they fly into painful barriers.Then, covered with bumps and bruises they retreat back.It takes lots of patience to help a frightened bird to freedom, and it takes a great deal of patience to help a person escape the confines of addiction. We cannot make them and we cannot take the flight for them.

The fear and frustration associated with this work is absolutely real, but so too is the joy of assisting in the cause of freedom.As we help the Lord “bring liberty to the captive” (Isaiah 61:1) our experience can harmonize with that of the Book of Mormon missionary Ammon who said:

And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. (Alma 26:30)

It was beautiful to see the little bird take flight.Watching him rise on the fresh morning air against the backdrop of snow tipped June mountains, surrounded by blue forever sky took my breath away.But there is nothing more breathtaking than seeing a child of God grow weary of flying about in deadly captivity and finally head for the blue sky of recovery and the lush green safety of the Kingdom of God, where life and freedom and nourishment and fellowship are in endless supply.

By Nannette W. Posted Monday, July 11, 2011

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

The Message From the Cedar Waxwings – Step 2 Hope

Step 2 says, “Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.” One of the pivotal words in this step is the word “you.” Can restore you Nannette! You restore you ______ (Fill in the blank with your own name.) It doesn’t help me at all to believe that God can and will help everybody else. I have to progress in my belief that He can and will help me. One of the things I’ve learned to do to foster this belief is to keep my eyes open for little signs, personal signs, witnesses to me that the Lord is minutely aware of my situation at every moment.

A day in the life of a Home School mom is full of one-on-one tutoring. In my case I had the challenge of teaching five children who were all at different ages and stages. Five levels of reading, writing, and math – Five children with varying interests and attention spans – It’s really quite a challenge! I was always on the lookout for methods I could use to teach something to all five children at the same time. It had to be something that would hold everyone’s attention. It had to be a method that allowed everyone to learn at his or her own speed and on his or her own level.

I found the good old-fashioned flash card met the criteria perfectly. One picture is worth a thousand words, especially if half of your class is too young to sit and listen to a thousand words. I made large 8×10 flash cards. It allowed us to learn the names of hundreds of things – colors, shapes, animals, Presidents of the United States, Presidents of the Church, musical instruments, leaves, flowers, famous works of art, anatomy, the planets, geographical land and water forms, countries and their capitals, events in history etc. I made good use of every simple picture I could find – old calendars, use discarded out of date textbooks that were filled with great pictures. I had a great time collecting, but I had an even more wonderful experience rotating through various subjects and presenting new cards to my children. There’s nothing like walking into the Visitor’s Center on Temple Square and having your five year old say, “Look, that picture is ‘Gethsemane’ by Harry Anderson.

We had a great experience, but I have to be honest and say that there were times when it was hard and I was weary. There were times when I wondered if it was all worth it and if I was really doing what the Lord wanted me to do. Was he really aware of me and my little class of five? Would He help me keep up the pace day after day?

One night I sat on my bed until late cutting up an old calendar and gluing pictures of different kind of birds on to cards. I remember going to bed and telling the Lord that I was worn out, that it had been a hard day, and “was I doing the right thing?” The next morning we resumed our regular school day schedule. Half way through the morning I gathered everyone together. We sat on the floor in the living room and I drew out the ten new cards flash for the week, all pictures of birds. I flashed each of the cards one at a time, stating the name of the bird. The children repeated the name. We reviewed the ten cards following this same format three times. One of the birds I had selected the night before was the Cedar Waxwing, a lovely little bird, crested, mostly soft brown, black around the eyes, a yellow tipped tail, and red spots on the wings. I had never had the opportunity of meeting this bird, and when I flashed it for the children I commented that I wished we had something besides robins and sparrows in our neck of the woods. With that I finished up, put the cards away, and fixed lunch.

After lunch my oldest daughter walk her little brother over to a neighbors house. She was gone only a minute when she came bounding back into the house. “Mom, Mom, you’ve got to come and see. In the trees by path to the church there are hundreds of Cedar Waxwings.” We gathered and followed my little bird watcher to the path. Sure enough, a numberless flock of soft brown, crested, blacked eyed, yellow tip tailed birds with red spots on their wings rested in the neighbors trees nibbling away at the left over autumn fruit that hadn’t yet fallen to the ground. I stood there in amazement. I stood there looking up for a very long time. I looked up at the birds in wonder and I looked to Heaven in awe that the God of the universe would send a flock of birds to bring my children and me a message. “I am aware. I care very much. And most important, if I can deliver the birds to match you little flash card I can help you with anything.”

I’ve looked every year since and never seen another Cedar Waxwing in those trees, but if I keep my eyes and heart open I can have a “Cedar Waxwing day” seven days a week. The Lord loves to manifest Himself to us. There are always Signs.

Take a look at these beautiful birds: http://www.ownbyphotography.com/newpage5.htm

By Nannette W.
Posted Friday January 30, 2009

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

Morning Glory, Weed or Flower? – Step 7

When I first became the proud owner of a yard, my most familiar enemy was the morning glory. It seemed to spread everywhere, wrapping itself sneakily around the roses and in and out of the evergreens. One day I was perusing my book “Wildflowers of North America” and was surprised to see my weed listed and described as a flower. Flower was certainly not the name I had given my pest.

The question came to my mind, “When does a flower become a weed?” And the answer, “When the environment is so supportive to the particular flower that it grows out of control, entangling, crowding out, and eventually killing all the other flowers.”

Our Heavenly Father has made available to his children the riches of the earth, good things that can enrich our lives and be a blessing to us. Occasionally something that was meant to be a blessing becomes a curse, a flower turned weed. Examples of these mixed blessings might be food, money, love, and medication. Why is this so?

Let’s look at the morning glory for our answer. Morning glory is not inherently bad, and yet given the right living conditions it can totally crowd out other growing things. The flower becomes a weed. Food, money, love, medication and other seemingly good things can become weeds to our souls as they flourish in a particular environment and run rampant, crowding out our relationship with God. How do we stop the infiltration of soul strangling weeds?

Let’s look again to the morning glory. I can never get rid of the morning glory completely once the seeds have been sown. I labor to keep the weeds in check. So it is with food, money, love, drugs etc. To keep these flowers from becoming weeds we try, we labor, we work at self discipline trying to keep these things in check.

The only way to truly rid my yard of morning glory completely is to change the environment so that the seeds no longer lie on ground that promotes growth. I imagine I will be controlling morning glory forever as I have little influence over Utah’s morning glory producing environment. So I keep it in check.

In regard to my soul I strive to keep it’s garden in check also, weeding daily through repentance and forgiveness so that nothing runs out of control on a mission of destruction. But at times even with “weed” in hand, the futility of the task becomes overwhelming. I often despair knowing the living root is buried just under the ground, out of sight, and in such rich soil.

For some known and unknown reasons, the environment, which is me, and has been inherited from God and man, is more conducive to the rampant spread of some things over others. I have and have had little influence on the making of it and seem to have even less ability to change it. I am in fact powerless to do any more than to weed it by repenting of excess. I’m trying not to add things to my environment that encourage weeds.

But there is one Jesus Christ who has purchased the right to transform my nature. It is only through and with Him, because of Him that the soil of my soul can be changed, that my environment of self can be altered. If I allow the Lord to do his work, no longer does the flower of food become the weed of compulsive eating or compulsive starving. No longer does the flower of success become the weed of materialism. No longer does the flower of sorrow become the weed of anger and hatred. No longer does the flower of love become the weed of lust.

It is not because He is out there weeding the garden and keeping excess in check. He is capable as a result of his love and sacrifice for us, and our willingness to be altered, to actually change us so that weeds cannot flourish. The very nature of the ground upon which seeds fall has been transformed.

By Nannette W.
Posted Sunday, September 21, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
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Catch a Falling Star – Scripture Study

Those of you who know me know that I love the scriptures. I don’t think there is anything more fantastic than slowly feasting on the word of the Lord, as recorded by His prophets.

I’m a slow reader. The unhurried style suits me just fine. I take time to write and think and counsel with the Lord and allow the Lord to counsel with me through the Spirit. I’m never disappointed. I’m always well fed, even if all I cover is a verse or two.

I look up words in the dictionary for greater understanding. In my ward and family I’m known for carrying around my little electronic dictionary along with my scriptures. I often search cross-references, and as I study I always record the Lord’s message to me in my journal.

This way of coming unto Christ has been a great blessing to me. It has awakened a love and appreciation of Jesus Christ and His work in my behalf, that has literally transformed my life.

I want to share an experience I had with President Hinckley’s challenge to read the Book of Mormon quickly. I say challenge because that is exactly what it was for me. One week I wrote in my journal: “President Hinckley has challenged all members of the Church to read the entire Book of Mormon by the end of the year. To accomplish such a task I have to read six pages a day. I am doing it, but it is very frustrating! I feel like I am being asked to eat thanksgiving dinner in five minutes.”

I finally started using my Book of Mormon CDs to help me move along. One particular day, as I was listening, following along, and finishing up 2 Nephi, I was particularly amazed at the number of verses I was familiar with in my six-page reading:

“For ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ…Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ…Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ…Feast…The words of Christ will tell you all things what you should do…I glory in plainness…in truth…in my Jesus…”

These were verses I had come to love during my slow study. They were verses preciously associated with my love for Jesus. They had become beautiful to me. As they whizzed by on this particular day a new picture came into my mind.

I recalled our late-summer family trip to Yellowstone. After an evening rain, the sky cleared and we were in a privileged position to view a wonderful meteor shower. “Did you see that one! Oh, Look! That was a bright one! Wow!” We must have exchanged comments like that for an hour or more before settling in our tents.

Using this memory, just as I began to feel frustrated over not being able to catch a verse “and put it in my pocket,” the Lord reminded me that the quick read is a great opportunity to go “star gazing” in the scriptures. Now, instead of bemoaning the quick trip through God’s word, I find myself saying: “There’s another one. Wow, that was beautiful.”

By Nannette W.
Posted Friday, September 19, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

Coming Down The Mountain – Part 6 Final Chapter

As the snow on the path started to become more sparse and there were just little patches here and there, he stuck with me. One time, feeling a little independent, I let go, only to fall right down on the path. When you think you can “go it alone now, thank you very much,” you usually fall right down on life’s slippery path too. Independence is quite a touted virtue today, but you must resist the temptation to become independent from God!

After hours of this exercise, the snow on the path came to an end. The rest of the path was lovely, I’m sure. But I hurt so badly. Every step forward was painful. Even to take the smallest step down from one rock to another took the gathering of all my willingness. My legs shook. I felt like I had the flu. Something in my knee started to pull tight with pain at every step. I wondered if it was possible to break your knees!

Think about the people you meet in life that “ seem” to be on a pleasant enough part of the path, and yet they struggle so. You might wonder now what mountain they have just traversed. How many icy steps on the mountain have they taken? How ill equipped were they for what life dealt them? And who has helped them to this point? Always remember that on the pleasant part of the path you were exhausted by what had come before. I felt sick to my stomach, and all I wanted to do was lie down on the path and go to sleep. I imagined people seeing me on the path for the first time at this point saying, “What is her problem?” I vowed to have more sensitivity toward the travelers I meet on life’s path.

As in real life, there was no “wimp wagon” to rest on like I had experienced on mock pioneer treks. I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other, knowing there would be an end. Finally Mel and I found ourselves driving home in a toasty warm car, visiting and rejoicing. We had come to this experience in the dark and now it was dark again. What would have been a half-day bit of creative exercise for her had taken us all day. Your friends willingness to walk you, the novice hiker through this experience with enthusiasm and patience, with never a condescending word, speaks more than any sermon. Be more willing to go the distance with others!

I slipped into a nice warm bathtub that calmed my chills, and then onto the living room couch prepared by my daughter Jenny with pillow, blanket and heating pad. Marv warmed my dinner. I was home safe and I had learned some remarkable things about “coming down The Mountain.”

The End.

By Nannette W.
Posted Sunday, August 31, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
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Coming Down The Mountain – Part 5

As we left the shed and started to descend the trail, I was feeling very frightened. As I looked down the trail we had come up and thought of the steep inclines and slippery snow, I could imagine how I would keep from falling and possibly being seriously hurt. How could we ever make it down? Back down the mountain we started. This is how it went. Step, step, fall. Hold Mel’s hand. Step, step, slip. Step, step, fall. We did this little exercise long enough to realize that our return journey was going to be even longer and harder than our hike up.

All of a sudden, I became aware of a man standing just below me on the trail. I didn’t notice where he came from, but there he stood, holding his hand out to me. I remember thinking, “What a friendly person.” I looked at his mountain-wise attire including his high and dry hiking boots. “How kind of him to shake everyone’s hand as he zooms down the mountain decked out in his ‘four-wheeling’ boots.” I took his hand and shook it, smiling. As I tried to withdraw my hand from his grasp, he refused to let go of it. “Hold on. I’m going to help you down this mountain. You’ve taken more steps on this mountain, today, than anyone.”

For the next several hours we inched our way down the steep, icy trail. Often we were side-stepping. Always, he was ahead of me, planting himself and allowing me slide my slick tennis shoe into the side of his big boots. Sometimes I just held onto his backpack and skied down behind him. At other times I held onto his back pack, looked down at the small patch of snow covered ground between him and I, and put my feet carefully into his footprints. Over and over again, step after tedious and often dangerous step, he supported me. From the moment he took my hand and for all the hours it took for us to work our way down the mountain, I kept thinking, “I can’t believe he’s really doing this for me!”

In humility, I heard the Spirit of Truth whisper to me: “I can’t believe he is doing this for me!” How often in life, when people are struggling do you simply give them a hearty handshake and a good wish and send them on their way, when what they really need is constant, painstaking, time-consuming help getting off the mountain, whatever that mountain is for them. With each step I hoped that I could become more prepared and willing to go the distance with the people the Lord brings into my life.

This next message, I suppose, was the most profound message that came to me during this experience. The spirit spoke, “This strong selfless man who somehow knows your need and is willing to sacrifice himself in your behalf is doing for you what the Lord Jesus Christ will do for you at all times, if you allow Him. He knows you. He knows how many steps you have taken on life’s treacherous path. He knows what your handicaps are, and He loves you. He loves you so much that he bled from every pore to receive the power from the Father to bring you down life’s mountain, not just having survived the ordeal, but changed and prepared for Eternal life.

Nannette, everyone is ill equipped to conquer this trail alone. Your savior on the mountain was capable of helping you down a trail miles long, but your Savior Jesus Christ has the love and power to help all who come unto Him. You who are aware of His love and power must direct other strugglers to Him in word and in deed. You can bear testimony of His assistance by telling others how He is helping us. You can move ahead each day with enthusiasm and faith in Him, so that others may “see your good works and glorify” not you, but Him. Finally, you can literally be empowered by Him to help others who cross your path. He often uses others as his hands and feet and voice. If you want to help Him you must know, like your friend on the mountain knew, that giving someone a hand, a real hand, requires the gift of self.”

To be Continued. (one more time)
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday, August 30, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.
This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.

Coming Down The Mountain – Part 4

Despite the added strain of walking on slippery packed snow, we kept going. We kept hoping the sun would grow warm enough to melt the snow. We kept hoping that each one of numberless bends in the trail would be the last before the lake. Hours passed. My legs were so shaky, by this time, I could hardly put one foot in front of another. With a bit of sarcasm in my voice, I suggested that Mel run up the next hill and see if the lake was just around the next bend. She did. She ran up the trail and turned to wave back. The lake was finally just ahead. Slowly, I hobbled up. It was 1:00 p.m.

We sat down and evaluated our situation. It was still quite cold. There was no hope of the snow melting. My exhaustion and the reality that we could never reach the top and come back in daylight finally pushed us to a decision. We would not go on to the top. Right here, only half way. This was “the top” for me! Again, another humbling thought came into my mind: Nannette, your “top” will always just be somewhere higher than you have ever been before, not as high as anyone has ever gone. Be grateful every time you out-do your old self! That’s the only standard you need to achieve to feel like it was all worthwhile.”

To Be Continued.

By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, August 29, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.