When I was about 13 years old, my dad & I went with a church youth group on a ski trip to Wisp Mountain in Western Maryland. At the time, Wisp was well-known for The Face - a run on the face of the mountain covered with moguls. Huge moguls. Moguls as tall as me (I was pushing 5 feet at the time). But Dad skiied well and helped me learn to ski the moguls, so I learned to make it down The Face alive and uninjured.

Fast forward about 30 years. I've been up and down The Face of life a number of times and hit some pretty rough mogul fields: infertility, depression, marriage and parenting struggles. Sometimes I've made it over the moguls with grace, and sometimes I have completely wiped out. And sometimes when I wiped out, I created obstacles that made the track harder for others around me. I have rarely picked myself up after crashing - usually someone has come alongside me and extended a hand of grace to help me get up and keep going.

Lately I've seen a lot of people I love hit some pretty big moguls. Some are falling because someone else wiped out in front of them. Others are seeing a mogul coming and don't know how they're going to get over it. I wish I had the right words to help them through these tough times. The best I know is to listen, pray, and offer support and encouragement.

"You, my friends, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1)

"If anyone lacks wisdom, let them ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to you." James 1:5