That's me on skis, and you can obviously see that I'm standing on what's a snow-covered hill. It doesn't look much bigger than a speed bump. What you can't see, is that it's all downhill in front of me. If you had been there, you would have seen that I'm actually standing at the top of a steep ski slope. Isn't life and faith also like this? Sometimes we can only see a part of what's really a much bigger picture.
If you were unfortunate enough to be at the bottom where I was headed, then you were in grave danger. A menace was headed your way! I had recently learned to ski and couldn't stop very well. As loud as I could, I'd yell, "Look out below!" It was sort of like yelling "fore" in golf. Then, I'd push off and race straight to the bottom. The other kids would quickly scamper away as fast as they could. If you were in my way, well, hopefully you weren't.
When first learning to ski, one of the most important things to know is how the trails are marked. If you see a trail sign with a green circle, that's easiest. A blue square is intermediate, and a black diamond is advanced. But what if you think you're up to the challenge and make the wrong choice? Just a year or two after this picture was taken, that's what happened to me. I was old enough to read the black diamond sign that said, "Angel Street." The name itself was a giveaway—I should have known better.
The top of the trail might as well have been like trying to ski down a cliff. It was steep! I don't know what got into me. All four feet of me thought I could do it. The only thing to keep me from sliding straight down the trail were the giant moguls, some bigger than I was. I didn't make it too far when I'd given up and taken off my skis. I'd rather try walking down. That's when the ski patrol spotted me in distress and asked if I needed help. I definitely did. I'd been trying to carry my skis and poles while attempting to walk down a steep, slippery slope in bulky, awkward ski boots. I was a very unhappy mess and a little bit scared. But the next thing I knew, I was riding to the bottom piggyback style. It was actually fun from then on, and even after all these years, I still remember the ride down. The other ski patrol guy carried my skis and poles. I thankfully was rescued from my wrong choice and arrived safely at the bottom of the trail. The following year, I tried a second time and succeeded!
In the late 1960s, my family was again skiing at Loon Mountain, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It's the same mountain with Angel Street. I was then about nine or ten years of age. This is when I ran into a famous author of children's books. No, it didn't happen on the ski slopes, but in the Lodge. It wasn't a collision, but a crossing of paths. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Though, at first, I barely knew who he was and wasn't all that impressed.
While staying at Loon Lodge, I was in the arcade and rec. room, draining my mother's purse of all her dimes and quarters playing pinball and bumper pool. It was then that a man came in and told all the kids to expect the arrival of an important person. He said the man's name, and I vaguely recognized it. Some of the other kids knew who he was and were excited to meet him. If we'd all just wait a few minutes, we'd get our chance.
A short time later, the double doors opened, and an entourage of people followed the VIP inside. All I remember was that he was an older man wearing fur-covered snow boots. They went as high as his knees and looked quite ridiculous—much like something you'd find in a Dr. Seuss book. In fact, he was Dr. Seuss! The rest is a blur. As I vaguely recall, he just kind of strolled around, talked with a few of the children, and left. Not too exciting. But I'd had my first celebrity meet and greet—one that I'll never forget! Now I know who he is.
Life gives us all kinds of adventures and surprises—some good and some bad. Sometimes we may take the wrong path (trail) in life and need to be rescued. Other times, the path may lead to a blessing, like my meeting a famous author. I started this blog with these first three In this Corner...I'm the Menace posts for a very specific reason. It's because a very well-known (famous) builder and carpenter named Jesus had this to say about the corner. "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...'" (Matthew 21:42). He also said, "...No one is good except God alone" (Luke 18:19).
I wrote in my first post that no matter what bad things we've done or how very good we've all tried to be, we all deserve to be in the corner: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The corner was naturally a good place to start, and the cornerstone is the beginning of a solid foundation.
Finally, I'd like to share an example of one of life's fun surprises and a blessing from God. While writing the first two posts, I did some research on both Dennis and his famous cartoon creator, Hank Ketcham. I read his autobiography and also ordered a used book of his titled Prayers and Graces. Inside was a partial hand-drawn image of Dennis with the following note: "Blessings! with love to dear Marcy!" It was signed by the author. Included in the book was a note to Marcy from the author's wife, Rolande Ketcham. It was written on her personal stationary.
It was a nice surprise to open the book and see the authentic signature of Hank Ketcham, author and creator of Dennis the Menace. Many years ago, it was also quite a surprise to have met Dr. Seuss in person. All this had me thinking that we too are God's workmanship. He is our author and creator. What a gift it would be for Him to write "Blessings!" to us and include the exclamation point. And then inscribe it..."with love!" Whoever Marcy was, she knew the author well and received his blessings with love. May we also know our Author and Creator (God) as well.
The next post titled Back to the Future begins at:
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