ROLLER COASTER RIDE

Life can be a series of roller coaster rides. Whether the highs are chocolate induced or the lows hormone related, we girls know what it means to strap in for life’s twists and turns screeching our way faster than the speed of sound. So what kind of roller coaster are you on today? Right now, I’m gyrating between Phantom’s Revenge, The Beast and The Vortex. One minute, I’m sorting socks; the next, I’m ranting and raving over whether to hire a demolition squad for my child’s room. “He’s a boy. He’s 10. Get over it!” I hear echoing from the abyss. And my plummeting scream responds, “But, I don’t want to! This isn’t a room; it’s a bad lab experiment waiting to happen! AIEEEEE!!!”

Believe me; I could give you a blow-by-blow report of what I’ve been experiencing lately. But as I laugh at mishaps and cry over misunderstandings, I must remind myself of a few things. First, I’m not in this alone. I know Jesus encouraged his disciples to go out into the world and preach the gospel. But when I hear, “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age” (Matthew 26:20 – The Message), the world of parenting, marriage and friendships is my mission field. God is with me through the tunnels of confusion, the turns of discomfort, the heights of elation and even the depths of despair.

Thoughtful question – Who or what is riding with you in your roller coaster?

Next, there is joy in the ride. I must admit, I don’t know about this one sometimes. The bills are due and the payments are late. The day is jam-packed and time and patience are threadbare. Stress has taken over my last nerve and joy is held hostage. Can you feel what I’m saying? Circumstances should never define our joy. Our joy is found in God; our circumstances get to reap its benefits. I mused when I read from Habakkuk. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET [emphasis here] I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (3:17, 18). Sounds like the makings of an old Country and Western song doesn’t it? Yee-haa!!

Thoughtful question - Are you making a point to enjoy life even when life isn’t so joyful?

Finally, all rides have an end. Trust me on this one. Will the pain of hardships ever end? Will the sorrow of loneliness ever cease? Will the plague of fears ever subside? Yes, my dear sisters, they will, but here me on this. As long as we’re on this earth, we will be exposed to its pitfalls and pratfalls. Jesus had to remind his disciples to take courage in spite of inevitable struggles. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). It is in Christ we have peace not perfection. He simply gives us hope to cope!

Thoughtful question - Are you finding God’s peace in the ride?