Skiing...

This last week my wife and I were privileged to have my two younger brothers stay the week with us. On Thursday we decided to go skiing. What a day it was; 23 degrees and snowing. This was my younger brothers first time skiing since Benji's accident. It was quite an experience. Although it doesn't quite resonate with my theology of heaven, I couldn't help but wonder if Benji was tearing up the slopes where he was while we were ripping em up down here. There is not much more an experience that brings you closer to heaven (for some such as Benji it brought him all the way). My two brothers, wife, and I were skiing in powder up to our waist. This was no ordinary powder either. This was the driest powder the Oregon Mountains get. This was just about as close to heaven as one could this side of it.

As we were riding up the lift, reflecting on Benji and how much we longed to be skiing with him at that moment, my wife reminded me just how much of a spiritual experience skiing was for Benji. Benji felt closer to God in no other activity. As I thought about this I could not help but think of Eric Liddell in the movie "Chariots of Fire". When questioned by his sister about his love for running and his call to missions in China, he said "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." For my brothers and I (Benji included) this has very much been our sentiments when it comes to skiing. God has made us all for a purpose but he has also given us gifts and passions. My brothers and I have a passion for skiing. When we ski we feel God's pleasure, and God's presence. For us, skiing is an act of worship.

I like to believe that as Benji died, he was worshiping the God he loved, bringing him pleasure, as he was doing what he loved to do more than anything. This was Benji's final act of worship on this earth. And for that he would not have chosen any other way to end his life on earth; worshiping the God he loved.