Recently, my family and I had the opportunity to travel down to Branson, MO. We do this every two years, as we meet up with the rest of my family to do some fishing and head to one of our favorite stops – Silver Dollar City.
SilverDollarCity has been around for some time. It began as a place to showcase the old world arts and crafts. To this day you will still find glass blowers, blacksmiths, wood carvers, and a good number of other craftsmen throughout the grounds.
Until about 6 years ago, one thing that SilverDollarCity was not known for was it’s thrill rides. There were only two roller coasters and a water ride when I was younger. Now, you will find rides with names like “Wildfire”, “Powder-keg”, and “Thunderation” – to name a few. In fact, these are what keep myself, along with my wife and children, returning to this park each time we go to Branson.
You see, my wife introduced me to the thrill of riding a rollercoaster when we first met. It’s not that I had never been on a roller coaster before. I had been to Six Flags in St. Louis a time or two when I was younger. But, honestly, I always rode the smaller coasters – the ones that seemed safe and not too out of control. When they started designing them to go upside down, that was something I wanted nothing to do with.
As I look back, I guess it was the fact that I just didn’t like not knowing where I was going. I know that I didn’t appreciate the fact that I had no control over the twists and turns, let alone the speed. And I suppose that would make sense because I was always someone who wanted to be in control - knowing exactly what to expect at every turn in life.
Over the years, however, this has changed for me. I don’t know if it was due to being a classroom teacher, or simply life itself; but somewhere along the way, I began to realize that when it comes down to it, I really have very little control over most things in this life. In fact, I learned this most when I became a parent. (Talk about a roller coaster ride!)
But that’s also when I learned to truly place things into the hands of our Lord; because when it comes down to it, life really can be so much like those roller coasters that I now love to ride more than ever.
I know that it is a cliché that has been used more than once, but life really can be like a roller coaster. There are days when everything seems to take off at 70 mph – sending you right over the edge of a drop that takes you straight into a series of twist and turns where it’s hard to see what’s coming next; and then there are days when everything just seems to go up and down. I realize that many people don’t like roller coasters (and I’m not insisting that anyone force themselves to ride one), but to me they can symbolize the life of a Christian, and they remind me of the passage written in Jeremiah 29.
The Christian life can certainly have it’s ups and downs, as has been the case since Christ told us that the road ahead would never be easy. But it can also be more thrilling than anything that this world has to offer. And that’s to be expected…especially when you find that you have no other choice than to put your trust in Christ.
That’s the biggest difference between riding a roller coaster and the faith walk of a Christian. At the amusement park, I’ve noticed that as securely as they buckle me in, I’m still putting my life in the hands of a teenage amusement park worker. And once they hit that button to start the ride, they really can do very little to control anything that goes on from that point. From the moment the ride begins, I along with a number of other riders are trusting that the starting point will become our destination in which we hope to arrive safely. Not so in our Christian walk.
Though our walk with Christ can essentially mimic the wild ride of a roller coaster, our trust is placed in the hands of One who holds all power and authority over what will and will not happen. Our trust is placed in the One who has secured for us a future that gives us great reason to have great hope. And unlike a roller coaster ride at SilverDollarCity or any other amusement park, our hope points us to a destination that is much better thank simply returning to the starting point. In our walk with Christ, our focus remains on our eternal destination – a place that could never be matched by anything that this world has to offer.
Which is why, in my house, you can find a picture of my family and me riding a roller coaster. There we are, screaming…smiling…eyes half closed on what appears to be a very wild ride…all surrounded by a frame that says these words: “For I know the plans I have for you..”
None of us really knows what those plans are as we walk with Jesus here on earth. But we do know this. They are plans that include some ups and downs, a whole lot of forgiveness, and a fresh start each and every day. And though we may not see what each new day holds in store for us (with some days certain to take us on a ride on which we find ourselves hanging on to no one else but Jesus), that’s when the advice my daughter and I give to each other will help: “Hold on! And don’t forget to breathe!”
And while you’re at it, praise the Holy One of Israel who will bring us home safely from what can seem like a pretty wild ride at times. He’s the only One on whom to hold!
Saved to serve,