A tale of a High School ski trip. (Original)

2005 High School students Ski Trip. 
Well, I have just returned from a four day ski retreat with 40 high school teens. I am pleased to say that I made it unscaved. But I can not say that for one of the teens.

Katheryn is one of the toughest teenaged girls I know. Let me tell you a little bit about her. She is one of the top soccer players in the nation. She is very pretty, a joy to be around, and she will do anything for anyone. She always blows her horn when she goes past my house and if I am standing outside she will stop and say hello, if she has time. Plus if I don't say these nice things about her she will beat me up, I told you she was tough. But there is one thing I have not told you about her, she has had two knee surgeries, a couple of ankle surgeries, and a finger surgery.

I told you all of that to tell you this. Back to the slopes. I saw Katheryn skiing and thought to myself, why in the world is that girl taking a chance and snow boarding with her knees like they are. You see Katheryn is such a good soccer player, she has a scholarship to play soccer for a college team. But then I thought you can not live in fear of doing something wrong because if you live in fear then it is not living at all. And that is the way Katheryn lives her life, with no fear.

But Tuesday afternoon, something went terrible wrong. It was about 3 or 4 and I was in the lodge taking a break from mastering all of the slopes (OK, OK, I was mastering the green slopes but this story is not about me) when I got the call. Our youth pastor was taking Katheryn to the hospital, she had just fallen and gashed one of her knees. Now when I say gashed, I mean severely cut, like six inches across and five inches up, around her kneecap. All I could think about was her future, what would she do now? She lives soccer. I knew she would be devastated. Well, four hours later I finally got the call telling me she got some stitches and that her xrays look good, no bad damage internally. She goes to a specialist today to get a second opinion. I pray that God answers all of our prayers and gives her good news.

But this is not where the story ends. When I saw Katheryn that night she was laughing and having a good time. As good a time as someone with a bad cut could have. Maybe it was the pain medicine, I don't know. We got to ride home in the car together, instead of on the bus. We had a chance to talk a little and I asked her what if? What if that slight chance her knee is to bad to play soccer again. She just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Oh well. I can not worry about that." I told you guys this girl is tough.

The bible says in Matthew 6:25 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes?" Or better yet, Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of is own."

My challenge to you. Be more like Katheryn! Live every day to its fullest. Do not let the devil get you down. Do not let worry get in your way. Make every moment count.

Katheryn, if you ever read this, "I love you and you are an inspiration!"

God Bless,
Joe

A tale of a High School ski trip. (Original)