We almost didn’t go. We almost missed out on one of the most fun family outings of all time. And I almost missed out on what might have been God’s purpose for my whole trip.

We had arrived in West Virginia, from which my family hails, the previous day. At most elevations, snow was on the ground, though just barely. Only two of us knew how to ski, and the others weren’t about to learn, so we needed a family-friendly alternative. 

Snow tubing. It was something everyone could agree on. Problem was it was relatively expensive, and all the chutes looked the same on the website. Would it be worth it? Friends who had visited the resort said yes. So snow tubing it was.

Turns out it was the last day of snow on our trip. Turns out we had the chutes to ourselves for a while. Turns out it took about  six minutes to go up the people mover and back down the chute, giving us about 10 runs per hour. Turns out we would want to make every last run. And turns out God had a purpose for me there.

An hour or so into our runs, we encountered a mom and three of her daughters as we went back up the people mover. We struck up a conversation that ensued over the next three hours (you spend most of your time on the people mover), and we were instant friends.

She, like me, mostly left behind her career for a while so she could homeschool her kids. She, like me during those years, struggles with feelings of inadequacy, invisibility, lost identity, sidelined goals. Is she doing enough? Is she making a significant enough contribution for Christ? 

And my answer was an unequivocal yes. 

 

A wife of noble character who can find? . . . Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. – Proverbs 31:10

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  – Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Our society greatly undervalues a mother’s investment in her children, and we are experiencing the fallout of that societal shift. But children are a heritage from the Lord, and being a mother is, therefore, an honor and also a serious charge. We shape not just our own children but future generations. (I find it ironic, by the way, that mothers who say it doesn’t require any intelligence to stay home with children are the first ones in line to buy the latest Baby Einstein DVDs.)

Being a mom is one big snow-tubing adventure. Children, like snowflakes, are precious, beautiful gifts that we can’t hold on to. Our time with them seems to go by with snow-chute speed. You blink and the ride is over, though it feels as if you were just at the top of the chute a moment ago and your pants still feel wet with snow. Every second must count. My new friend clearly gets that, a fact for which generations to come will be thankful.

Enjoy the ride, my friend, and know that you are bearing much fruit – much more than you are likely to see in your lifetime. May the thrill remain fresh, and may you even enjoy those moments when you’re the butt of your family’s jokes. I know I do. But let that remain our secret.