Lessons from the Roller Coaster
Ray and I took a vacation with our daughter Bethany and her family last week, including a couple of days at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, plus some history sites (naturally). From start to finish, it was wonderful.
My last ride just before Holiday World closed on our second and last day there was on the Thunderbird.
I stuffed my phone in a safe place and laid my glasses on the put-your-loose-things-here shelf before Bethany and I climbed in side by side on seats that hung below orange rails. We zoomed around and up and over and down a corkscrew before coming in for a smooth landing where we began.
Two memories stand out from my closing ride of the day. I loved sharing those thrilling moments side by side with our Bethany. I also loved seeing the lights and clouds and blues of the early evening sky straight on and sideways and upside down.
Since I was a child, the sky has reminded me of Jesus because I knew that someday He would come back to earth.
And after He had said these things,
He was lifted up while they were looking on,
and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going,
behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
They also said, “Men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking into the sky?
This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,
will come in just the same way
as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11
Many have wisely and accurately described life as a roller coaster. On any given day, we can go hurtling around and up and over and down a corkscrew. Ray and I have had lots of days like that. You may have lived that day yesterday or be in the middle of one today.
Bethany and I could see the design of the roller coaster we rode last Thursday. In fact, she had ridden it earlier and described it to me. We knew what we were getting into and made the decision to hop on. However, we don’t always choose the life roller coaster we ride.
On Thursday, I found joy in sharing the ride with someone I love and in looking toward the sky. What a precious way to ride the roller coaster of life.
For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
who will transform the body of our humble state
into conformity with the body of His glory,
by the exertion of the power that He has
even to subject all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20-21