Pastor Kent Simmons
Some days I am on the upside of a rollercoaster. You know the feeling. Click, click, click, upward you go. You cannot yet see the precipice only the height to which you are climbing. And then suddenly, from the front carriage, passenger screams emerge, cascading from front to back, from beginning to end. You are at the point of no return. All you can do now is hold on.
I am meeting more people who are anxious about the ride, it seems. For some, it is a spiral downward from upward mobility, others geo-political concerns swirl, still more a sense that societal norms are in free fall.
In addition to these newer layers of change and motion, the embedded ones of financial troubles, marriage problems, and health issues, remain a constant.
While it may be humorous to see pictures of you and your family post a rollercoaster ride, there is nothing funny about the real terror many are experiencing.
We are a mess, and we haven’t even reached the apex. It is like our seatbelts are not strapped and we just know we are going to fly out when the worst hits.
So, let’s see if we can get some perspective.
First, the sky is not falling (or at least, we are not falling from the sky). There is an old saying, “This, too, shall pass”. It is an old saying because it is true. Some things have a short shelf life. And just like the rollercoaster, it is over before you know it. Hold your breath and close your eyes if you must, scream a little if you cannot control yourself, but have a sense of scale.
While it is a sad consequence that our decisions may have lasting impact, have some courage to get back on the ride. It will not be nearly as scary next time.
Second, “don’t borrow trouble” is another truism. It is traced back to the bible where Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. On this life journey that gyrates back and forth, high and low, it seems the next curve is all we have to be prepared for. Too many sleepless nights turn out to be misspent slumber.
Nothing is gained by worrying about a future we cannot know.
Finally, even if you are certain of dying on life’s treacherous rollercoaster, it is only death. Death does not have to be feared. What must be reckoned is the way we rode and the way we disembarked. Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
The true life is the one journeyed with God. It is the person who says, “I’m getting on life’s ride no matter how scary”. It is trust. Just like we trust that a rollercoaster is ultimately safe, so, too, should we trust that the God who created our “rollercoaster” will help us finish safe.
Oh, wait, I think I hear another click, click, click, coming… hold on!
Kent Simmons is the pastor Canyon Community Church in Kingman, AZ.
