O.K., I realize for most of you this may not sound like a big deal, but for my wife Becky, this is a monumental breakthrough! After years of resisting, dodging and downright running from; she finally got up the nerve to ride a ski lift last week! I know, it doesn’t seem remarkable by most standards, but trust me, for her it was huge!
We were attending the “Leading Edge Conference” of United Methodist pastors in Park City, Utah. It was absolutely beautiful in September. I can only image what it would look like in the winter with all the slopes covered in snow. We had a couple of free hours during the meeting so we decided to take the lift to the peak of the mountain, stopping at a little restaurant half way up.
Becky is afraid of heights. The last time she rode a ski lift, she tripped on her skis getting off the lift at the very first slope. Medics had to carry her on a sled down the mountain to the lodge. Her day of skiing; no her career of skiing, was over! Talking her into riding again, this time without skis and without snow, took some convincing, but I finally prevailed at getting her to join me in the ride.
You may know people who view going to church like she did riding the lift. They say, “Been there, done that, not doing it again!” Maybe they had a bad experience. Maybe they found the service to be boring and irrelevant. Maybe they felt uncomfortable with not knowing when to stand or sit at the “proper” time. Here’s a thought! Tell them about the worship they will experience at Sugarloaf! Let them know it will probably be a whole lot different from what they experienced earlier. Let them know the music will be powerful and the message will relate to real life issues. Let them know they need not fear coming dressed casually. Let them know they are likely to meet some truly amazing and friendly people before the day is up!
Once Becky was on her way up the mountain, she was so glad she made to decision to act on my invitation. It was the highlight of the trip for her. I am convinced people who choose to visit Sugarloaf will come to the same conclusion. Who is waiting for your invitation and encouragement?
