A Work in Progress

Since the Olympics, I have been on a figure skating high. I remember planning my days during that two week period, making sure I had showered, eaten dinner, even brushed my teeth before I would sit down and watch the 4-5 hour live stream from 7pm-12am. Not only that, but since then I have gone to see Stars on Ice Canada in Hamilton on May 5th and even impulsively booked second row seats for Stars on Ice USA in Detroit, Michigan the weekend before. Coming up, i'll be watching the Autumn Classic Figure Skating Competition in Oakville in a couple weekends, and I have tickets to Scott and Tessa's co-produced Thank You Canada Tour at the end of October. I can't wait! I'm just mesmerized with how they fly and glide across the ice so effortlessly. "I can do that", I remember thinking to myself.

And so with my helmet on and my skates tied, I was ready for my first figure skating lesson tonight. 

Mind you that the only skating experience I have had was on hockey skates, when I was just a kid and my parents were getting me to try out all sorts of extracurriculars. I remember the my big head being squeezed by my helmet and my feet aching after getting off the ice. It wasn't until recently that I got figure skates (covered by the university while I was working there, thanks guys) and had gone on the ice a few times, once with my co-worker who used to be in Disney on Ice. She graciously gave me a few pointers to start. I can skate decently and around the rink like most at a rec skate, and though I may not be striving to land a quad anytime soon, I just want to fly around the ice like the others. 

I was quite nervous going into tonight's lesson. I didn't know how many had signed up, I was pretty sure everyone was going to be more advanced that I, and I knew for a fact that I was going to have to wear a helmet. The idea of wearing a helmet really bothered me. It made me feel lesser than whoever else was going to be on the ice. And as I threw my arms around with my shaky knees tonight, I definitely was. I couldn't help but compare myself to those gliding around like it was just no big deal. 

However, just this afternoon I was texting a brother from church who was reminding me that in the midst of our struggles and our battles with sin, we are all a work in progress; and so we have to keep going. 

"And I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" says Paul in Philippians 1:6. 

Paul says again in Romans 8:28, "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose". 

What beautiful and encouraging promises from the living Word of God! God started a good work in us, and HE is the one that will complete it. From the moment of conversion, God is committed and is faithfully sanctifying us in ALL things, big and small, sufferings, failures, and accomplishments, for his glory, but also for our good!

And so even though I wasn't doing triple axels or salchows tonight, I was constantly reminding myself, you're a work in progress. Everyone had to have started somewhere and that meant shaky knees, flailing arms, and a helmet. Actually, since I was so beginner, I had a coach teach me one on one, so praise God for some private training! We also covered a lot of ground today, more than I was expecting! Coming off the ice, I felt the oddly nostalgic discomfort as I took off my tight helmet, but I also felt motivated to practice, train and improve. Watch out Nathan Chen! 

And so whether if it's figure skating, struggling with sin, school (as I start teacher's college tomorrow), or any discipline, let us remember that God is using all things for our good, strive to grow and work out our salvation on the daily, for God is bringing us from one degree of glory to another until we see Him face to face! All glory be to God.