I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE….did I say LOVE…rollercoasters! I have a terrible itch to purchase an
amusement park pass right now. I can’t even remember the last time I went on a rollercoaster, but I remember the way it
makes me feel. AND I can vividly recall,
the memory of riding my first rollercoaster: The Outer Limits (flight of
fear!). It was the scariest and funniest
feeling I’d felt to that point. I will always have a fond place in my heart for
rollercoasters.
One of my favorite Rollercoasters thus far has been one in
which two rollercoaster carts go side by side to the end of the ride. The coaster: American Eagle, the park: Great
America, the location: Santa Clara, CA.
I can’t tell you how many times my family, and/or friends and I visited
this park and rode that coaster. I have not been back in years, but like I said
I have an itch to just go and ride some coasters right now (any takers???). In case you are wondering, Six Flags Magic
Mountain in Santa Clarita, CA is the best park to do that. No arguments accepted!
American Eagle is unique in that it added another layer to
your experience: the opportunity to go eye to eye, inch by inch with another
group of people. There were certain
points in which they were up and you were down, but for a majority of the time
you had a partner pair the entire way.
It was the same experience in a different way. You could understand what the other
rollercoaster cart of people were experiencing, but it wasn’t the same.
We sometimes describe our experiences or our lives as a
rollercoaster. And it’s a great analogy,
if you ask me. There will be ups and
downs, slow climbs to the top, and furiously fast plummets to the bottom. There will be malfunctions, delays, waiting,
going, and letting go. Sometimes you’ll
throw your hands up and enjoy the ride and other times you’ll close your eyes,
clench your hands around the lap bar (or handle bars across your chest), and
pray the ride ends right now! My
favorite part of rollercoasters is right when you get to the top of a really
big drop and you can see everything and for a split second right at the top
going down you feel like your floating (it only happens for a split second)…then
you just drop…down…down…down.
Sometimes I feel like I’m running two rollercoaster carts in
my life, just like on American Eagle.
There’s the life I have and the life I
imagine/coulda/woulda/shoulda. Ya
know???
I sometimes pride myself (which God humbles me pretty quick)
on being able to handle things pretty well.
I’ve lived some of the loneliest years of my life figuring out how to be Ms. Independent; how to figure
things out without other people. Only
allowing others in my life if necessary. I'm working hard to stop doing that. I don't know what I'd do without my community
There’s a scene in the movie Footloose (NOT THE NEW ONE!) where a girl straddles two vehicles
driving pretty fast down this road because she was in one car and wanted to be
in the other. It’s pretty thrilling to
watch! And you think, that chick is
CRAZY.
Well, call me crazy, but sometimes I start rehearsing a
story where I can be like her and jump on the other rollercoaster cart in life;
the coaster that in my brain, in that movement, all works out better than if I just let go and
enjoy the ride of a lifetime that I’m already on. That’s when I get humbled pretty quick. When my pride gets deflated and I see with
new eyes. Teaching moments that I think
we all need. So, even though there are
times…in my moments of weakness, when I want to jump tracks, I’ve decided I
like my rollercoaster. Yah, sometimes I
clench my fists and pray to God (yes, I’m being literal here) that the ride ends
soon. And sometimes, I’m click-clacking to the top and I am
furiously excited to let go, take that huge plunge, and enjoy get that feeling
of weightlessness.
One of my favorite versus is 1 Corintihians 13:13 (yah I
don’t care how cheesey that is!): These three: faith, hope, and love, but the
greatest of these is love. If there is
anything the Lord has tried to teach stubborn independent me it is to let go
and give in to the ride, to let it go and go with the flow. To surround myself with the love of people I
care about and who care about me. To
have faith even when it feels like I’ve hit the lowest plummet on my
rollercoaster ride, and to have hope knowing it will work out okay because it
ALWAYS, always, always does and that is because God’s plan is way bigger than
mine.
I know life sometimes isn’t fair and there are a lot of
times when I have little control over my rollercoaster. However, I do have control over my attitude,
how I treat people, and a few other things.
I’m doing my best to have fun and enjoy the ride. To stop overthinking and worrying over things
I can’t change. It’s not an easy task,
but I have God and good friends to help keep me on track. So, rollercoaster of life: BRING IT ON!
I hope you are enjoying your life or working to do so. I hope you have people that look forward to
hearing your voice and seeing your face.
And I hope you know the God I do who is love and has changed my life for
the better. Don’t stop believing (thank you,
Journey) and don’t say “no” to the rollercoaster
(okay, so this song talks about something a little risky and I don’t
necessarily encourage what this guy did, but basically he’s saying to stop
pressing on the breaks of a ride that’s gonna play out whether your praying its
over or throwing your hands up and going with the flow!). Okay…so not the best song choices here, but
they have at least one good lyric that helps enunciate my points :P
Have fun on your rollercoasters people! Also believe in faith, hope, and love. They’ll prevail, ALWAYS <3
