Roller Coaster Ride

Yesterday Rick talked about Christian Life being like a roller coaster ride. It is full of high highs, low lows, twists, turns and sometimes loopty loops. I remember when I was younger man, I didn't think of my life being so much a roller coaster ride, but a merry-go-round. It kept coming back to the same types of situations over and over again. There were ups and downs, but the thing that stuck the most was that my life was going round and round and not getting anywhere. Then it dawned on me...The Lord didn't put me on my merry-go-round, I did. In Proverbs 26:11, it says: As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. That fool was me doing the same stupid things over and over and not learning from my mistakes (or from others', which is even better).

Now as I'm learning that, I much prefer the roller coaster...highs,lows, twists and turns and all. At least I'm going somewhere. This is not to say that I've become all wise and perfect, I've just become a little wiser and am trying to learn from my mistakes. Getting off the merry-go-round is not as easy as it would appear, but when you do, you're grateful.

Now, please know that riding a roller coaster is not for the faint of heart. Being a living for Christ, dying to one's self kinda Christian ain't for the cowardly. The rides to the top take work and humility. It's slow and tedious. You can't see where you're going, you just know you're going up. That stop at the peak is a respite and the view is breath taking. But as on any roller coaster, it doesn't last long. I'm learning to recognize that. I don't look forward to the descent with delight, but I know it's coming sooner or later and I know that Jesus has His arms around me to keep me from falling out of the car. The maturing Christians are those with their hands raised up high as they go screaming down the other side. Why? They have their hands up praising the Lord the whole way. The LORD is worthy to be praised at all times!! Hallelujah!!!

Rick said something like this... "Either get out of the car or put your seat belt on"