A BROKEN FOOT, A MENDED HEART | from page 23 ___________________________________________ COMING ALONGSIDE | from page 12 ___________________ sponsored professional athlete disappeared. I pushed myself to continue to work, struggling on crutches to operate my water-ski school, coach skiers, raise my four-year-old daughter, and organize a professional women’s ski tour. I had many dark hours over the next year. I hadn’t shared this, but there were times when thoughts entered my mind, trying to convince me to commit suicide. Thankfully, the power and love of God helped me press on. He reminded me of His words, found in Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Through God’s power living in me, I had the strength to endure all things. With God, I could overcome this trial and rise again. We all have weak moments. Satan tries to convince us that we have no hope. He’d love for us to run back toward darkness instead of moving forward into the light of God. His goal is to kill, steal, and destroy our lives (John 10:10). But as children of God, we must hold fast to our faith and continue moving forward. We can trust God, even in our pain. With a lot of hard work and many tears, I finally began to walk again. But it wasn’t until 2000 that I dared to strap on a water ski. I was so afraid of getting hurt again. One day, a friend who worked at my ski school said, “Let’s go ski, Jenn.” Hesitantly I suited up and slid into the water. After a few moments, I found the courage to tell the boat driver to go…but as soon as I felt the power of the boat and heard the sound of the engine, I let go of the rope. I was so gripped with fear that I couldn’t even try to get up on a ski! Can you imagine a pro skier being too afraid to hold on to the ski rope and rise out of the water? A few weeks later, I tried again. I got up this time, but was absolutely terrified to move. So I just rode behind the boat. A few weeks later, my friend pushed me once more. This time I crossed the wakes. Those little one-foot boat wakes looked and felt like mountains! Every time I crossed them, I experienced great pain as my ankle flexed. Terror filled me at the thought of what could happen. “I’m never going to be able to do this. It’s over!” I thought. Just as I was about to throw in the towel, I had a crazy thought. I told the driver to pull me through the slalom course. I was determined to overcome my fear once and for all. A slalom course is a series of six strategically placed buoys that the waterskier maneuvers around, and I had been running the course my whole life. I thought that maybe I could will my way through it by focusing on a target on the other side of the wakes. If I could look past what I feared, maybe I could do it. But this would require me to put my ski on edge and cut through the wakes at double the speed I had been traveling. I’d be skiing at about 65 mph! Why would I even consider such a thing? There was a reason behind my madness—I knew that cutting fast on the ski’s edge like an expert would help my ski slice through the wakes more easily. Perhaps it would lessen the pain. In retrospect, this was a crazy and dangerous idea. As we approached the course, I suddenly remembered the story of Jesus’ disciples in Matthew 14:22–31. The disciples were caught in a great storm, overwhelmed by fear as their small boat was tossed violently by the waves. Jesus, seeing their predicament, came alongside them and said, “Take courage. I am here.” I felt as if He was saying those words to me. “Take courage, Jenn. I am here with you. You don’t have to be afraid.” With that assurance, I turned toward the course and sped across the wakes like they didn’t exist. Amazingly, I rounded all six buoys. I realized that I had been skiing like a beginner, fearfully trying to protect myself from the unknown—and my fear was hindering my ability to move forward. When I put my fear aside and committed to face the unknown with God, I was victorious. Today, I am competing again. I am a walking, skiing miracle. My performance and form aren’t what they used to be, but I have been blessed to win another pro event. I also hold the world record for my age group, and in 2012, I won the Senior Worlds. You know, my life could have been a tragedy. If I had given in to those dark thoughts or succumbed to my fear, I would have never known the victory of running the course again. I am so thankful that God gave me the courage to move forward. He has restored my life, and in the process, He has given me a story of victory that I now share to encourage people and give them hope. I hope that’s what my story has done for you. God is willing and able to help you through every fall. When your dreams are shattered, your body broken, and your mind overcome by fear, take courage. You are not alone. God is with you. �� For seven days, they sat with Job and participated with him in his pain. When your neighbor is in a dire crisis, your presence can be enough. The one who shows up stands out! You don’t have to fix anything. Just sit with them and show them your support. The people in my life I count on and think the most highly of are the ones who I know will show up for me, in good times or bad. Choose Wise Words. There will be times when we need to use words to express our care and concern for people facing loss or hardship. But the truth is, nothing we say can take away the pain of the moment. Often our desire to say something results in our saying things that are true but not helpful. For example, if a mother has just lost an infant child, she doesn’t want to hear her child is “in a better place,” even if that’s true. She wants her baby to be with her, in this place, in this moment. Unwittingly, we’ve just made her feel worse because we’ve trivialized her loss and been insensitive to her new reality. So many people have been wounded by words that at first seem helpful. Phrases like “God must have been finished with them,” “There’s another angel in heaven,” “God chooses special people to have special children,” or “God has a purpose for this.” Whatever truth there may be in these remarks, they aren’t very comforting. When you don’t know what to say, focus on affirming their feelings, acknowledging their situation, and expressing your empathy. A simple, “I’m here for you” is far more powerful than words that fall short in times of distress. Coming alongside people in the hard places of life is more than a notion; it’s a biblical directive. Jesus meant for us to be part of the physical, human illustration of God’s power. We are meant to help, heal, minister to, and love others for His sake. In the midst of brokenness, there’s no better time to love than the present. �� Editor’s Note: For more practical ways to walk with friends or family through the rough patches of life, pick up a copy of Sarah Beckman’s book, Alongside: A Practical Guide for Loving Your Neighbor in Their Time of Trial, from your favorite bookseller or www.alongsidebook.com. kojministries.org Issue 2 2017 29
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