I was four years old when I rode my first rollercoaster. It all happened at an amusement park in Southern California called Knott’s Berry Farm. The coaster was called Montezuma’s Revenge (which also has another hilarious meaning). That rollercoaster was giant, fast, and went upside-down twice! It started from a dead standstill, shot forward into a full loop, stopped at the top of a steep ramp, then repeated the whole thing backwards! I had stood under the little sign with a bright yellow line to measure a rider’s height so many times, and because my little, curly, blonde head did not reach the line, I was told I could not ride.
I had dreamed of riding that rollercoaster! I actually had dreams from which I woke up and was flooded with disappointment that the experience was not real. My mom was totally baffled at the fact that I was completely void of fear. I would stand on the asphalt walkway under the giant loopy-de-loop as the coaster went whizzing by, passengers screaming in fear and delight, and I felt only jealous anticipation. Mom tried to talk me out of it, thinking my naïve self had no idea for what I was asking! She thought that once I rode it, I would become so terrified that I would never ride a rollercoaster again.
One day, I finally met the required height to ride! I was literally jumping up and down in line, my mother and her worried frown looking on at my frivolity. She was still apprehensive, but she had made a promise (not realizing how serious I was) that as soon as I was tall enough, we would ride it together.
Quickly our turn to embark had arrived, and I clambered into my seat and buckled all of the belts before my mom could even assist me. My mom said, “Now, if you get scared, just reach over and grab my hand. I’m right next to you, and you have nothing to be scared of.” I looked at her as if she were speaking another language and yelled above the noise of the other passengers securing their own seatbelts, “Mom, I’m not scared! I have wanted to do this my entire life! This is the best day ever!” She did not look convinced, but I was too distracted by my excitement to care.
There was a momentary pause after everyone was secured, then the coaster took off like a shot! My mouth flew open in a silent scream of joy as we whirled through the giant loop and up the ramp. There we hung for a small moment, just enough time to realize we were about to shoot backwards, and off we went again! Rolling through the loop, I felt exhilaration and joy; all I could think was how to convince Mom to let me get back in line for another ride!
The coaster rattled to a stop at the station, and Mom turned her concerned face toward me to gage my reaction. I yelled, “Let’s go again!” I grabbed her hand in my tiny one and leapt out onto the platform toward the exit.
“Are you okay? You weren’t scared?” she said as she followed me toward the turnstiles for the ride line. She was probably thinking of my brother, who at six years of age still would not even discuss riding anything faster than the carousel.
“No, Mommy. It was even more fun than I thought it would be! You rode it lots of times, and you loved it. I knew I would, too!” I think that might have been the day when my mom realized she would need to do more tempering fearlessness than calming fears in her daughter. Shortly after, I was able to talk my scaredy-cat older brother into riding Montezuma’s Revenge and conquering his fear of rollercoasters forever! To this day, I have never said “no” to a rollercoaster!
As children of God, how much more of life could we enjoy if we had that kind of fearlessness when facing challenges in our Christian lives! Our Heavenly Father has been there before us; He understands the challenges we will face. He would not let us ride the rollercoasters of life if He did not think we were ready for them. He would not allow us to climb in and face those upside-down moments if we were not “tall” enough in our Christian lives to face the unknown.
I wonder how many times God’s people have turned away from that unknown, scary challenge. They never buckled up for the ride and trusted God to keep them safe. They never said “yes” to sing in the choir, help in the nursery, teach a Sunday school class, work on a bus route, learn to be a soulwinner, or take a stand for Christ in a godless workplace or school. They never took the ride of their lives because they would not even get in line.
Sadly, they may have missed the joy that comes after the ride starts. They never had the chance to sing for the Lord with God’s people, sing “Jesus Loves Me” with a curious toddler, watch a child learn for the first time about Jesus, see a bus kid’s eyes light up when he hears “I love you,” know the joy of watching a sinner ask Jesus to save him, or be a light for Christ in the darkness. Not only that, but their brothers or sisters in Christ also never saw their fearless step of faith into the unknown and missed hearing from them, “I did it! So can you!” Their fellow Christians never had the opportunity to be encouraged to step out themselves because there was no example to follow.
Do not miss out on the ride of your life! He is right there with you and will be there all of the way. You have thrills, excitement, and your own “best day ever” waiting ahead. Just get in line and trust the One Who has gone before you. You never know who is waiting at the exit, wondering if you made it so that he also might get in line to take a ride into faith and discover the joys of taking the ride of his life, too!
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. ~ Deuteronomy 28:1-2
by Tracie S. Burns
