In Charge

-

My stomach is knotted, my hands and knees shaking, fingers numb, and eyes piercing the rock as I carefully formulate my next move. It's crucial that every move is quickly followed by another skilled move. My eyes cannot be taken off the rock, my mind cannot be harassed with any another concerns or perhaps a fall of 8 or 9 feet could smash me against the brutal wall.

I went climbing this weekend with three other friends. I had planned on going to church, as I had spent Sabbath morning curling my hair and picking out a dress with the proper accessories. (But I'm not good with plans, not sure why I even make them anymore...) I showed up at the Awakening, a service prior to church, but left after the first 20 minutes to run home, throw some food and climbing gear in a bag, to meet the others with only 15 minutes to spare. It was a fast escape with no time to look back.

I climbed a lead climb for the first time this weekend. It was restoring. I was in charge. In charge of my self, every decision, every maneuver, every fall, every success. Nothing to hold me back and nothing to guide me. I think that's how it's suppose to be though.

Comments

  1. EMILY STARApril 19, 2010 at 9:12 PM

    yikers! lead climbing--you are taking this to a new level....and i think i'm gonna be staying at the level below you...because i'm a sissy. :) but, i can see why this experience probably felt restoring--and i'm glad you got to go. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. NicholasApril 20, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    lead climb? dang. you're tough as nails.

    ReplyDelete
  3. janetApril 24, 2010 at 8:56 AM

    Way to go Kristina. I am so impressed!! I love how you wrote about it too....in charge of decisions, etc....empowering!
    you are a beautiful woman. I enjoyed our talk last night!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just the facts...

-
So here's the news. Not good. Not bad. Just straight up facts. (Facts from a girl on oxycodone and emotionally ... well, slightly unstable and a little heartbroken.) Argentina is in the rear view mirror now - this means no traveling for a long while, the thing I love most. No walking for 6 weeks - who knows when I'll run again, the thing I love most after traveling. Several months of physical therapy for a stapled MCL, replaced ACL, a sewn meniscus and fractured femur. (I've always had weak bones, so it doesn't surprise me.) 45 minute surgery turned into a 2 hour surgery, not as scary as I thought. Trampolines are dangerous and I will never jump on one again. I'll be back at WWU this quarter, possibly in a wheelchair? Not sure what classes I can take yet. My friends are the best. They've called, visited, emailed, and prayed. Most of all, I've got the best Father, who tells me: "Come to me, I know you're weak and have found life burdensome
Read more

Thank you

-
Image
I'm afraid of losing a good thing, until I remember the days before. I forget that nothing was ever mine and each good thing truly is a big present wrapped up with ribbons and attached to it a note that says, "I love you, my daughter." I too often, take for granted those gifts. With each step along this journey there have been gifts, some small, some huge, and some I misinterpret all together.  Today, in this commonly warm inland empire it rained under dark, heavy clouds, drawing me back to my Western Oregon root. This week I'll be leaving this sunny state, where I've received blessing after blessing with my hands wide open, desperately reaching out. I hadn't expected so many good things at one time. I hadn't expected that it would become commonplace here in this big sunny state. The last thing I had expected was to fall in love with this smoggy, crowded, hot hell of a place. Love is a thing for the strong. Macrina Wiederkehr writes: Giving yo
Read more

ArgenTINA Here She Comes

-
Image
These past few weeks have been spent packing, amazoning, moving, and preparing for a quarter at an Adventist college in Argentina. YES! I love going to new places! I get so excited that I sometimes forget to pack really important things (a toothbrush, underwear, shoes, phone chargers), or I forget to say goodbye to really important people, or finalize school registration, sign important papers, email professors, schedule flights (not good). I remember packing for my trip to India  3 ½ years ago where I was moving to teach at a boarding school for 9 months. I made a checklist, but only packed half the list and when I got to India, it was good that I packed light because I didn't need much and I lived out of my suitcase. But I wished I could have somehow packed in my bags some extra courage, a pop-up friend, or a teleporting device. Loneliness seemed to be the only thing that came out of my big suitcase. Today I read an excerpt from Henri Nouwen on loneliness:  Riding on top o
Read more