The Roller Coaster

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I still remember that first trip to the amusement park after I had truly met the Lord as my Saviour. It was at Magic Mountain amusement park.

Before I met the Lord, I was a real "comedian" trying to make other people laugh. It was a defense mechanism and a lie. I was so sad inside.

But I myself had never wanted to laugh wildly like you would on a roller coaster - not in front of people, anyway. I was so bound up in fear that I felt it was a sign of weakness to really yell out and laugh. Besides, I had always been afraid of dying on one of those rides. But now I had Jesus with me, and I was free, and I knew it.

And so, as we "clicked" our way to the top of that big roller coaster, I made a fateful decision.
I would let go and I would throw up my hands, and I would yell at the top of my lungs, because even if I was thrown from that car, I would land in Jesus' lap.

By the time we got to the top of that roller coaster, the fear was gone, replaced with the breathless anticipation of "walking on the water".

We flew down the other side, and it was wonderful. The heart-felt cry of a man made free rose up to the heavens from the bottom of my soul. When I met Jesus, He broke the chains of my fear.  And I left the fetters on that roller coaster that day. Completely free. No remembrance. What joy there is in liberty!

When I got off of the roller coaster, having ridden it three times in a row, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Ben, this is exactly what life with Me is like. Half 'Wheeee!' and half 'Aaarrrggghhh!'"

It is worth the "Aaarrrggghhh-s" to walk through life with Jesus to get to the "Wheeee-s." Because it's the only way - having "clicked our way" up that steep incline through trial and tribulation - that we can experience what we'll find at the top of the ride:

The mental and spiritual anticipation of the thrill to come, the oddly wonderful feeling of one's stomach just beginning to feel the thrill of the drop, knowing that your stomach will be in your throat at points along the way, yet letting go of that rail in front of you and throwing your hands to the sky in praise to the Lord, knowing that, "No matter what, Jesus will catch me."

The "Aaarrrggghhh" and the "Wheeee."

Lead us through the "Aaarrrggghhh-s", Lord, so we might experience the "We."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:12-13

NOTE: This posting is a copyrighted writing by the author, published on this blog with their express consent. You may not re-publish this writing (including in blogs or e-mailings) without the express, written consent of the author. You may obtain such permission by contacting Nameless Faceless Love via e-mail.