The Snow Bridge Incident

Photo by Dee Kamp

 

The Snow Bridge Incident

I’ve shared this personal story of my moment of greatest fear before, but it is been awhile. And this morning the Lord put the memory of it on my heart and said, “Share it, someone needs to hear it today.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

When Bill and I were first married we delighted in the times away from our jobs to go into the mountains and do some short day hiking. I was a novice! Never before had I camped and done such things. But my Bill was raised in Colorado and lots of experience, he is a natural with nature.

We were camping near Mount Baker in Washington State. We had good forest maps and there was a little trail up the base of the mountain we chose for our hike that day. But after a while we found there were still patches of snow here and there, but had no problem walking through them and finding the trail. I felt pretty confident and was enjoying these new adventures that is until our trail led us a place where we would need to cross a snow bridge!

Bill marched confidently on ahead of me but halfway across it, I stopped, frozen in place. Suddenly a fear came over me like I had never experienced before in my life.

When he got the short distance across Bill turned in surprise to see me still standing there. I said, “I can’t take a step I know I’ll slip and fall.”

“No you won’t, its safe, follow my footsteps,” he called to me.

I only shook my head and the tears began to fall down my cheeks and my legs began to shake. Bill came back to me and spoke very softly saying, “Now I’ll turn around and you put your hand on my shoulder and don’t let go and don’t look down, look only at me.

I had to take three deep breaths and really-really trust him. One step, two steps and then before I knew it we were across!

Today as I read Philippians 4:4-7, I heard the Lord whisper in my heart, “Put your hand on my shoulder, we’ll cross all bridges you face together.”

It’s not the first time the Lord reminded me to put my hand on His shoulder, in His hand and in His trust. I like so many of you have had to cross a troubled bridge, not of snow but of circumstances. A bridge over troubled waters. I truly say with great joy, Jesus has never failed me once. He has encouraged me in gentle and understanding love, given me His strength to press on and together gotten me safely across and into His loving arms.

“This is the Christ in whom you’ve been placed. This is the Christ who surrounds you-above you, beneath you, around you, before you, behind you, within you. This is the Christ who is all, and in all. You are complete, “running over,” in Him” Anne Ortlund