Our house sits on a hill, and for twenty-five years, I hated that hill. Trying to navigate an icy or snowy driveway without sliding back down, falling off the edge, getting stuck halfway up, or any other unpleasant outcome was the bane of my existence. Who would ever have dreamed it would transform from misery to magic?

Along came COVID. Parks were closed, recreational activities shut down, but that despised hill remained. Social gatherings were not allowed, but exercise was. What better exercise than dragging a sled up an incline with the reward of flying down again, over and over? Our local grandchildren, who were not allowed to come for a social visit due to the restrictions, could use it for sledding. And so could their grandparents. A pandemic is something I would never wish on anyone, but through it, the winter of a lifetime was born. God blessed me in a way I could never have foreseen. He turned my misery into magic, and that hill became a friend.

When my husband cleared the snow from the driveway, he piled it to create a wall between it and the lawn. He then made two sledding tracks that merged into one partway down the hill. Through trial and error, we learned how high the wall needed to be and the angle of the two banked turns to prevent launching children over it and onto the gravel driveway. There was a learning curve that involved some children taking unexpected flights, but thankfully, no one suffered beyond a bruise here or there.

Then the magic happened. The track on Grandma and Grandpa’s hill became a magnet. What I had hated with a passion for years became a means to spend time with our family. God had created a dazzling silver lining for me under the dark cloud of COVID-19.

Hidden joy had surfaced from the shadows, and we saw our grandchildren more often than ever. The older ones came for the thrill of speed and daring, and the younger for the hot chocolate and snack afterwards, served outside and distanced. Usually, they came three times a week, and with few other commitments, we all had time to play. My husband fulfilled his grandfatherly duty of providing ideas for things the kids hadn’t considered. One was to challenge them to go faster and faster to avoid “The Pit of Doom”— the low, wet spot in the ditch where the run finished. He also became the track engineer, filling holes and building up or shaping areas that caused difficulty. Later, he padded the emergency number signpost at the bottom, which became more of an obstacle as the season progressed.

Since that time, building the luge track has become a winter highlight. When we have enough snow, family and friends gather to enjoy it. Brave seniors even hop on a disk or tube and rediscover the thrill of playing.

It’s hard to believe we had lived on that hill for so long, and although our children used it a little with their sleds when they were young, none of us ever realized the treasure hiding in plain sight before us. Something I had feared and dreaded became the source of joy, turning my misery into magic.

God loves me, and he did that for me. Through it, an awareness developed that if I take my eyes off my immediate problem or circumstances and focus on him, I am often surprised by the joy peaking from the shadows. Sometimes, it’s unexpected, but other times, seeing beyond the shadows is an active choice. And that choice is within my power to make.

Is there joy hiding somewhere awaiting discovery, but the circumstances in your path obscure it? If you have a relationship with God, trust that he loves you and ask him to help you see it from a new perspective. If you haven’t yet developed a relationship with him by becoming a follower of Jesus, he’s waiting for you to reach out to him. Click this link to listen as author and pastor Rick Warren explains what that means and how to begin your journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjNFLdcRAXs. Please note that the email address in the video for further information isn’t active. If you would like some direction concerning the next steps on your faith journey, please fill out this contact form, and I would be happy to connect you with resources that will help: https://brendaerbroberts.com/contact-me/.

Hopefully, your transition from misery to magic won’t take twenty-five years!

“Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy.
 So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you.”

Psalm 30:11-12 (NET)