A Roller Coaster Ride

We've all heard the comparison that life is like a roller coaster ride.  It has it's ups and downs, curves and loopty  loops.  Through it all we are supposed to trust in God to get us through it all.  If we have complete trust in God we should put our hands in the air as we ride up that accent all excited about the thrills that are before us with full confidence that he will keep us in that seat and free from harm.  click, click,click, click, click, click, coast whaaaaaaaaaaaa excitement in our screams and we coast down that first hill.  We give a little grunt and the cars hit that first curve harder than we expected and our eyes get great big with anticipation as we start to go upside down.

Bless those people who can go through life like that with full confidence that no matter what God will protect us and can just hold on and enjoy the ride.  Bless them for putting everything in God's hands and, as the saying goes, "Let Go and Let God."

Personally, I can say "let go and let God"--but in reality I don't really know how to do that.  Heck, I'm not even sure what it really means.   Whatever it means, it certainly is a lot easier said than done.   It would be a lot easier if that roller coaster was your typical roller coaster that you can check out before hand in the light of day.  It'd be easier if you can sit there on the park bench in bright sunlight and see other people on the ride.  If you could see the steel pillars planted into the concrete.  If you could get an idea of where the assents and descents are, and could see what you are going to go through before hand.  If you knew that in the end you are going to end up right right over there in that station.  That you will get out all excited and ready for the next ride---maybe the tilt-a-whirl this time.

In reality, it's pitch black out and you can't see a thing.  You have no idea where the tracks go.  You have no idea where the tracks are flat, where they are curved, where they go up or where they go down.  You have no idea when you are going to be right side up or upside down.  In reality there are strobe lights thrown in to disorient you.  You have no idea where the ending station is.  You have no idea how old the ride is and you're not so sure the coaster wasn't put together by some methed out carnie who made repairs using duct tape.  You aren't so sure that the seatbelt will hold during the curves and you won't be thrown off of the side.

It's much easier said to "let go and let God" than it is to actually do it.   But you gotta do it.  You have to get into that seat, put the seat belt on, pull down the harness, utter a few curse words and throw in a quick prayer, "Lord, I trust in you."  Because in reality, He created the ride, He built the ride, and He is the pimply faced kid ride at the control panel pushing the buttons.  Did I just call God a pimply faced kid?  I guess I did . . . . click, click, click, click, click oh well, up we gooooooooooo .. . . .