Lean Into The Mountain and Bend Your Knees

When I first learned to snow ski, my ski instructor, youngest son, and family friend all gave me the same advice:

"Lean into the mountain and bend your knees."

I must confess that advice seemed illogical to my body, which wanted to bend at the waist and lean down the mountain. Finally I was able to make my body listen to me, and the advice worked like a charm. Before the day was over I was swishing down slopes which at the beginning of the day looked scary and intimidating.



Our walk through life on this planet can often be scary and intimidating as well. Everywhere we look we see something that inspires fear and concern. But you don't have to live your life that way anymore if you'll follow this simple advice: "Lean into the Mountain and bend your knees."



One of the names of God used in the Bible is El Shaddai, which can be translated "mountain." When you lean on God in faith, He takes those scary and uncertain moments and replaces them with His peace.



In like manner, the phrase "bend the knee" is often used to denote prayer. Prayer is nothing more than open and honest conversation with the One who made us and knows us and our situation better than we know it ourselves. He is the One who hears us, who sees us, who gives us wisdom when we ask. Again, He takes the worries and concerns we bring to Him and replaces it with His peace and joy.



My prayer for all of us as we travel through this earthly journey is that we'll remember the advice given to me on a ski slope: "Lean into the Mountain and bend your knees."