Stay in the Toboggan

My father would often recant a comical story that happened to him when he was a teenager growing up in South Park, CO.

His friends and two young ladies went out for an afternoon of tobogganing. The weather was cold and crisp. A fresh dusting of snow made perfect conditions to sled.

At the top of the small peak the boys positioned the toboggan at the edge; both girls took their place at the front as the three young men pushed off and slid into place on the cushions behind the ladies. My father took up the back seat.

The frigid air along with the sprays of snow filled their nostrils. Faster and faster it sped down the icy draw. Squeals of joy and laughter echoed from the sled. The ride appeared to slow, my father sensing the end of the decent stood to his feet and stepped off the luge.

Unfortunately for him the sled was still moving at a great speed. The soft snow gave the impression that the trip had ended. My dad flipped head over foot, arms and legs flailing, as he became a human snowball landing with a thud at the bottom: beating the toboggan and his surprised companions.

I still laugh to myself as I recall the way my dad would share this embarrassing moment in his young adolescent life.

How does this family moment concern us today?

Our Christian walk can be exhilarating with the crispness of life filling our nostrils as we speed along with the Lord. Our fellowship with Christ is sweet. We are happy and joyful. We can do all things through Christ.

We are traveling along just fine until
illness strikes. The death of someone dear. Tragedies like the World Trade Center have us focus on what has happened and not how the Lord can and will work everything out for the good.

Satan the great deceiver whispers the ride is over. We believe him. We look around and feel the slowing of our once youthful bodies. We worry that Christ has forsaken us.

We think the ride is over, stand up and tumble to the bottom in a heap.

The truth is the toboggan is still moving.
Jesus is in control. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us.

Circumstances don’t negate the fact Jesus has a plan for each life beginning with trusting him as Savior: that as a child of His we have purpose. He continues the journey with us from beginning to the end.


Christ will continue to move us through life even if the ride seems to slow.
Stay in the toboggan.