Enjoying the Roller Coaster

There’s a freedom and fearlessness that comes from letting go.

When I was growing up, my sweet mama would take us to Six Flags every single summer. We would get there when the gates opened and we would stay until they closed. It was a long day, but she took us every year.

As I got a little older, I couldn’t wait to ride the roller coasters. I would walk up to the measuring spot and stand up as tall as I possibly could. I remember being disappointed when I wasn’t tall enough to ride. Then finally one summer I was.

I was tall enough to ride one of the smaller coasters, but not the biggest one, the Scream Machine. I wanted to ride that coaster so badly. The next year, my mama’s friend who had little ones, joined us on our Six Flags trip and I was finally tall enough. Mama’s friend reluctantly agreed to ride with me.

It was so much fun. I held on for dear life as we raced up and down the hills.

I later learned from a friend, that the Scream Machine was even more fun, when you raised your arms above your head instead of holding on tightly to the bar. You actually came out of your seat, but you were still safely strapped in.

Once I learned that trick, roller coasters were never the same and I just loved to ride all different kinds. I was fearless.

As I was sitting and thinking about another birthday coming up, and reflecting on this past year, it occurred to me that life really is like a roller coaster. There are ups and downs. Sometimes it’s really rough and sometimes it’s smooth. There are times when you wonder if you will ever reach the top of the hill and there are times when you wonder if things will ever slow down. There are even times when you find yourself completely upside down or find yourself afraid of running off the track entirely.

There are all kinds of ways to handle the coaster of life. We can hold on for dear life, white knuckling it, holding our breath and waiting for the situation to calm down and coast to a stop, dreading the next hill. We can even convince ourselves that we can control the ride when we do that.

But, there’s another way. We can raise our arms in surrender and enjoy the ride, knowing that we have no control over the hills or twists and turns, but God does. There’s a freedom that comes from surrendering control and a fearlessness as well.

A birthday and a childhood memory reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂