I like roller coasters. I like the thrill and the adventure, and since I am usually riding with one of my kids, just the whole experience of an amusement park day is something we really enjoy. We look at each other just before the ride starts and say ‘this is going to be awesome.’
We have visited the big boys in Orlando, and we have visited regional and local parks like Six Flags in New Jersey and Kennywood in Pittsburgh. I even love the lines because I get to hang out with the kids and usually Dad is holding the phones because we don’t want them to fly out, so no distractions.
We even visit the transient carnivals with their quick in-and-out magic. One day there is a field, next day it’s a carnival. Then, as quickly as it came, it’s gone.
I will be honest. My level of trust in any particular roller coaster is closely tied to the reputation of the operator. For example, Six Flags is all about rides. That’s their lane and they pretty much stay in it. I figure those rides are pretty safe. They are super high adventure. They are crazy speeds and crazy drops. But they are solid.
When we visit the carnival, I am a little more cautious. I find myself always checking the bolts or joints of the ride. I find myself looking up and down the operator (like he has anything to do with it) and seeing if he looks like a person I can trust. I have no idea what I am looking for but somehow it makes me feel better to think I checked things out.
I never do that at Six Flags. Never.
Walking with Christ has been the ride of my life. This is no exaggeration. There were times, like on a coaster, that I wondered if I was going to survive. Crazy speeds and crazy drops. I don’t always trust and obey the way that I should, and that impedes my experience. But in those amazing moments when God says ‘get on board, this is going to be great’ and I actually do? Wow.
What I have to remember is that I can trust the ride, the Operator, the whole thing. I don’t get on a roller coaster and try to drive. Do you? Of course not. You know that this is a ride you agreed to get on and you trust that it’s going to be great. How can you be sure? Others who rode it, the reputation of the Operator, that fact that the park is full of other people testifying to the awesomeness of this experience.
We serve a Six Flags kind of God. Examine His reputation, experience it for yourself. But don’t miss this ride. Throw your hands up and squeal in joy. I am right beside you, hair flying.
This is going to be awesome.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Good stuff Holly!