Roller Coaster Ride
Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV)
3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Good morning!
Do you like to ride the roller coaster when you visit a theme park? Two of my three children absolutely love the roller coaster rides. They tell me there is something extraordinary in experiencing the thrill of going up high, and coming down fast, and being tossed about and jerked from side to side. It only took a couple of roller coaster rides for me to realize this was definitely NOT my thing. Roller coasters make me queasy. I have enough excitement in my life without adding a roller coaster ride to the mix, thank you very much.
The last roller coaster I rode was at Six Flags over Texas. Jeff and I had just moved to Dallas and we went to Six Flags with his sister and brother-in-law when they came for a visit. This roller coaster had become very popular because it introduced two complete loops. At a high rate of speed, the avid roller coaster rider could hang upside down while experiencing the back-to-back loops. The wind whipped Jeff’s glasses right off his face and I crushed them with my feet accidentally. I wondered whether I had made a conscious decision that day to meet my maker because this ride seemed to last for an eternity. When the roller coaster finally came to a halt, we literally crawled off the ride, and all four of us found nearby park benches to lie down on. We didn’t move. I tried really hard not to breathe. This was definitely something I could live without ever experiencing again.
Sometimes our lives can be like a roller coaster ride. We travel in high speed, as we try to maneuver the many obligations that come with being part of a family, working outside the home, going to school, and serving others through charitable and civic opportunities. Our lives can be twisted and turned literally upside down when we experience a rough patch of life. Someone we love becomes ill, or passes away suddenly, and we are not prepared for how that may affect our daily living. We change jobs, relocate our families, and struggle to re-establish a rhythm and routine. We try to milk an extra hour or two into our twenty-four hour days, and sometimes, we get lost on the tracks. It is all we can do to hold on for dear life and hope the ride comes to a stop. Do you ever feel like you are living large on the roller coaster of life?
The busyness of life can distract us from the one who brings meaning to everything we do. Our God can take the roughest road and make it straight. The prophet Isaiah said that every valley will be raised up and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the rough and rugged places along the way will become smooth and plain. When the road of life is twisting all around, turning you upside down and from side to side, God can make your path straight again. He has the power to comfort, pointing you in the right direction, and granting you peace along the way. The obstacles that keep you separated from Him are gently removed with His loving hand. He can make all things new again, if you will let Him.
Do you want to get off the roller coaster ride you’ve been on? Invite God into your heart today. If you ask Him to, He will take the rough and rugged road of your life and make it straight, and you will see the glory of the Lord like you have never seen Him before. He will be your light and your life. You’ll be surprised how the rhythm of life will become in sync when you purpose to put the Lord first in all you say and do.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: the Lord to take your life and straighten it out, once and for all. He can conquer your roller coaster ride if you ask Him to. You can let go now.
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© Copyright 2006, Deb Spaulding
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