Sliding on ice

I was driving the boys to school on Tuesday. It was kind of early, the sun was just beginning to rise, and there were patches of ice on the road. Nothing major, just patches here and there. As we came to one of them on Norway Avenue, I let my foot off the gas, and we just coasted over it. G said, "Hey, Mom, do you know what you do when you come to a patch of ice when you are riding a skateboard."

Well, I NEVER ride a skateboard, but I am Mom, so I said, "Get off your skateboard and carry it?" adding in my mind, "So that you don't break your leg?"

"No." (I beg to differ. I still say I'm right.) He then went on to explain what "you" do when you and a skateboard meet ice. I would quote him for you, but I didn't understand a word he said. It involved something about reversing the direction of something else and turning the wheels....I have no idea. When he described the results of this maneuver to me, in my head it translated as "Next, you spin around and around on the ice."

He obviously thought this was mega-wonderful. Not me. To me it sounded like skating on ice on a skateboard -- essentially out of control, and risking the wrath of one's mother when one falls down and breaks one's leg!

Out of control. Sliding on ice.

So we turned the corner to go up the hill to his school, and the car fishtailed slightly on ice, which just sealed my opinion.

Ice is bad. I do not want to be out of control, especially on ice, especially on wheels.

It all about trust and skill. G trusts himself on a skateboard. He knows how to "throw his weight around" and control what those little wheels are doing. He doesn't care if he falls down; it's part of the skating. He is coordinated, he has practiced, he's good at what he does.

Does God ever throw us onto the ice? Does he ever ask us to risk falling down for his sake? I think he does. I think in times like that he is asking us to trust him. He is pointing to the relationship that we have developed with him, and asking us to rely on it.

At the beginning of this month, I became the lay leader of our church. Every time I type that, my fingers stop moving when I get to the 'l.' I think I've only said it out loud once, to a friend who isn't a member of our church. (Hi, MB!) It used to be, last year, when I sent out emails on "church business" that I needed to "sign," (for people who don't know me), I would include my name, my "job" name (Nurture Chairman), and our church's initials (JMUMC). This year, it's been my name and JMUMC. I've left off lay leader.

I'm not sure that I know what it means to be lay leader. Don't get me wrong - I know that I'm learning what it IS. I've read the book; I talk all the time to our outgoing lay leader. It's just that it's going to take some time to figure out where the wheels are, and where they are supposed to go, and how I'm supposed to steer them in that direction. I'm not surprised by this; I expected it to be this way, and there is some joy in figuring out the moves of the dance.

I do kind of feel like I'm sliding around on ice, but I'm not walking into this unprepared. I learned a few things last year, and one of them is that God trumps fear -- every time. So I'll trust, as best I can. An hopefully, I'll obey. And hopefully, one day, instead of being only grace-filled, I'll be graceful as well.