where waves grow sweet

We were gifted a stay at a timeshare in Mammoth by some friends who were unable to make use of it. It was rather fortuitous since Chase had been talking about wanting to spend some time in the snow and I had recently decided I’d like to learn to ski. So last Saturday, after John’s annual adventure challenge to raise money for the organization he works for, we packed up the car and headed up to the mountains.

As we drove for six hours through long stretches of desert and scrub brush, with heartbreaking patches of apparent poverty and isolation, we were reminded that we are destination people who enjoy the “being there” more than the “getting there.” We marveled at how our friends, Alex and Lindsie, make this drive with their three kids time after time after time all winter long, and figured we probably wouldn’t want to do it again anytime soon.

But then we arrived. The lodging was spectacular, with far more space and luxury than we could have spent on ourselves. This was particularly evident in not just one, but three rooftop jacuzzis that allowed us to warm our bodies while brisk air brushed our faces and snow flurries fell before the grand view of mountains… an experience we had all to ourselves since we didn’t see a single other guest our entire stay. 

One day, we bundled up in winter gear and headed to the slopes where John, an experienced skier, took off down the mountain while Chase and I took a lesson. My craving to learn was joyfully embarked upon, leaving a taste for more, and Chase overcame enough fear to walk away with a surprisingly positive impression of the adventure. Another day, we drove to a nearby lake and took a thoroughly enjoyable family hike in the brisk air with breathtaking views of the landscape; an experience that turned out to be our collective favorite part of the trip. 

Our down time was spent relaxing in front of the fire, enjoying the games, puzzles and movies we had gathered from the lobby, exploring local shops and restaurants or playing hide and seek in our expansive suite. One afternoon, Chase had the unique and rather magical experience of eating ice cream in the courtyard as snow gently fell from the sky. The whole trip was lovely. So lovely, actually, that I would drive up again next weekend if given the opportunity. Knowing what awaited me would have stripped those hours on the road of aggravated boredom and replaced them with a sense of anticipation.

This puts our Christian walk in perspective for me. Sometimes, it can feel like a long road through barren places with patches of heartbreak and maybe a point of interest now and again. When we don’t understand what awaits us, we doubt the value of this journey and simply want to arrive. But as we begin to see and experience how lavish and extraordinary the Kingdom of God truly is, the road to get there is transformed from one of restlessness, boredom or frustration into one of joyful anticipation… one we would choose over and over and over again because it takes us right into the heart of all we’ve ever wanted, giving us a free gift of the purest loveliness and fulfillment we could never have afforded for ourselves.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… Ephesians 3:20