When Life Touched My Heart: Lost on the Mountain

Cory got lost a few times and really scared us. One time we were camping out in the woods and he was with us one second and the next he disappeared. He was only a toddler. Those are the times you panic the most because so many bad things can happen so fast in the wilderness and you hear about terrible things in the news all the time. Those are the times when I would plead the hardest to my Heavenly Father for help. That time we were able to find him within 15 minutes and breath a sigh of relief and feel immensely grateful. Cory wrote about another experience he had in his journal:
My father loves to ski a lot. Because of this love he raised all of us children as skiers. I am surprised I didn’t have a snow-mobile above my crib as a baby. At some point in my elementary school days, my father's trust in my ski abilities waxed strong. With this trust he allowed me to ski the mountain alone, while he and the more advanced skiers moved on to bigger hills. I was skiing alone, having a good time on one of these days. Soon however, I decided to try another run. I turned off the run I knew so well and ventured down a side trail. I soon found myself on a foreign part of the mountain. I was lost.

Cory skiing down the mountain

The top star shows the mountain Cory started skiing on and the lower star the mountain he ended up on

This particular ski resort had 2 parking lot areas, or bases. We normally parked on the Mary Jane side. I had wandered over to the Winter Park side. An entire mountain separated me from my family. The sun in the sky was beginning to dip below the mountains and the masses of people were starting to make their way back to their cars. I didn't know what to do. The resort was closing and I didn't know what ski runs would take me home, or if the lifts would even be open much longer. I decided to say a quick prayer. Closing my eyes beneath my goggles, and bowing my head I asked for help. I asked the Lord to help me get back to my family. I didn't even know at the time if my family was still there. My home was a full 2 hour drive away. I would have no way of getting home. As soon as I finished saying my prayer my fears left me. When I opened my eyes I saw a sign ahead labeled “buses”. My prayer was answered.

This map shows just how many shuttle bus lines there are that are going different places

Buses lined up to take people to different locations

I followed the signs and soon came to the bus stop, or should I say bus stops. There were close to 20 buses that took the riders to different places all over the base of the mountains. Though I wasn't very old somehow I knew which bus to take. I waited for the bus for a long time and soon one came and picked me up to take me back to my family. I climbed aboard the bus and sat down next to a complete stranger. After sitting in the bus as it drove down the dark mountain roads with its headlights on, I once again began to wonder what would happen to me. Was my family still waiting for me? Did I really take the right bus? All I could see now were black silhouettes of people against the dusk lit world outside the windows of the bus. Among the chattering people on the bus, the driver began talking on her radio. Soon she turned her head to the side, keeping her eyes on the road and she yelled back to us passengers, “Is a Cory on this bus?” I raised my hand and said,“Yes, I am here.” Several passengers relayed my quiet message echoing, “He's here”. The driver then replied, “Your father is looking for you!” My heart leaped with joy. My fears were gone. After many more stops we finally arrived at the parking lot where I had begun my day. The parking lot was almost bare except for one car and a family huddled together by the bus stop. When I stepped off the bus, my father grasped me in his arms, giving me a warm loving hug. Tears had filled his eyes and I knew just how worried he really was for me. It is clear to see that I have the best father in the world. I may not ever know how much he truly loves me. I am quite disobedient at times and really test his love for me, but nothing I can do can ruin his love. I only hope he knows how much I love him too. He has only wanted the best for me. I am truly blessed.

We are so thankful for prayer and that both of these experiences turned out with us still having Cory to love. If all the bad experiences that have happened to our family happened for no other reason than to make us have a stronger bond and love for each other, then they served a purpose. I don't think anyone could find a family that loves each other more than our family does. This wasn't the last bad experience Cory had on this mountain, which I will talk about in my next chapter.