Intimidated and Inspired

   "To this you were called:  because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footseps.  'He committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth.'  When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered He made no threats.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."  1 Peter 2:20-23

 I have been with Mark on a business trip for the last few days in the beautiful Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada!  Yesterday Mark and I went downhill skiing at Lake Louise and it was beyond anything I have ever experienced.  In my life.  Ever.  We took a lift called the "Top of the World Lift" that dumped us on a snow-covered peak, surrounded by dozens of other snow-covered peaks.  It was so high I felt like I could touch the clouds.  It was breathtaking. . . it was inspiring. . . it was terrifying!  I am not a skilled skiier!  So I felt small and wholly inadequate to ski down the massive mountain on which I stood.  To make matters worse, skiiers and snowboarders were whizzing past me, jumping off the the defined trail, doing their own freestyle, bushwacking skiing.  My incompetence was highlighted.

This is a little how I feel when I read the above verses on suffering:  both awestruck and intimidated.  I am looking at a panorama of spiritual mountains that I can't imagine scaling.  I am passionate for justice, loud, outspoken and quick to vent my frustration.  How can I follow Jesus' example of suffering for the sin of people around me?  How do I lay down my rights and stop whining, "It's not fair!"?

As I read Peter's words it is patently clear to me that suffering is not optional!  We are to suffer for the foolish, broken, mean-ness of this world, simply because that's the example Jesus left.  He didn't correct every wrong, make the disciples behave and set up His kingdom.  He looked beyond injustice and saw His Father who would one day make all things right.  And He committed Himself to the path of redemption rather than that of personal comfort.  THAT is the example left for me to follow!

I'm intimidated, but I'm also struck by love that permits for that kind of suffering.  I want to love like that.  I want to try.  I want to trust God more than I trust myself.  Maybe it's like skiing yesterday.  I can't possibly take it all in and navigate an easy path.  On the mountain I just had to push off and follow Mark down.  I was slow and uncoordinated.  I fell some.  But each run was successively easier and eventually I found myself doing what seemed impossible. . . and then being crazy enough to go back to the top and come down again.

God give me that kind of faith -- to embrace suffering and entrust myself to you.