Rollercoaster

“We were made for something better
Something better than this inconsistency
So while you wait to respond to what’s really going on
Under shame, under doubt what the whole thing's all about
Sing to me

It's like a rollercoaster, 100 miles fast
Spins you round in circles till you want to collapse
Makes you so excited you can't wait for your second chance”

~“Rollercoaster” by Kendall Payne

Welcome to the second half of September! :) This year just seems to have flown by with all the ups and downs and adventures that have happened along the way! Speaking of ups and downs...

This past Sunday I got the chance to ride one of my favorite rollercoasters. It’s not the newest, doesn’t have the latest technology and isn’t very tall but I enjoy it. The Avalanche at King’s Dominion is bobsled-themed, with each car bearing the name and colors of different countries, and the ride down is entirely gravity-powered. It’s the first ride that my boyfriend and I rode at the park and at the end of the night we returned to ride it again...4 times! (Did I mention it wasn’t the most popular either?)

It’s pretty easy to see how life can be compared to a rollercoaster ride. With all its twists and turns, ups and downs, life is just plain unpredictable. Even when you think you can see the path (or track) ahead, it will often throw you for a loop and take you in an unexpected direction. And each person experiences it differently. Some throw their hands up over their head in wild abandon while others hold on for dear life, screaming at the top of their lungs. Not knowing what’s up ahead can be both exhilarating and frightening.

Someone (three guesses who) reminded me last night of a few verses from Matthew 6:

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I find myself very easily falling into the pattern of worrying about the days ahead and what I need to get done. I’m not saying that good planning isn’t wise and that to-do lists are evil, but it’s when I start to “plan” for what I cannot control that it becomes unnecessary worry. But God tells me not to worry! I am to seek His kingdom and righteousness and everything else will fall into place. Yet, as a fallen human being, I continue to fail and return to my bad habits. How often do we all focus on the unknown and worry about where the money or time or resources will come from, taking our eyes off of Christ and His providence? Praise the Lord for His marvelous and abundant grace!

So while I plan and pack for the Values Voters Summit this weekend with my good friend and one of my roommates from Focus, Alisha, I will try to put into practice the habit of relying on and trusting God for the things I can’t control. Because that’s the best rollercoaster ride I could ever be on.

Now...where did I put that to-do list? ;)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan