Weeeeeeeee!
A few years ago there was a Christian music group called 4 Him. They sang this song called Ride of Life. The chorus below is one of those that sticks in your head. My friend Lynne bought the cassette (don't laugh) and we played it all the time when we would go places together. Her youngest at the time was about two. One day we drove to a nearby city and played this song over and over again. When we got home the two year old was repeating "coaster ride". It is a fun song and I included it on the praise page. It isn't really praise song as much as it is a song about life in general. It is a reminder of how crazy things can get but how Jesus is always by our side no matter how upside-down or sideways things go. Make sure to listen when you are done reading.
This roller coaster ride of life Lifts you up and lets you down This roller coaster ride of life Spins you round and round and round Heaven knows wherever you go I will be right by your side On this roller coaster, roller coaster ride of life
I used to enjoy the themed roller coasters at Disneyland. I rode them so much that I memorized the turns and they didn't seem so bad. There were things to look at and it was more entertaining than frightening. I was never crazy about the ones that turned you upside-down and whipped you around or dropped a million feet. They were too much for me. My sister on the other hand lived for the thrill. She was a coaster junkie.
Life is sometimes a chaotic roller coaster that will make your stomach fall into your feet one moment and at other times make you feel like you could fly. I'm still not a fan of these highs and lows, but I have learned a little secret. It is in the lyrics above. He will be right by my side. I don't know how many times I sang that song driving with Lynne. It never sank in until today. The memory of the song came to mind out of the blue. I decided to give it a listen. I could still hear Amy in the back seat singing "coaster ride, coaster ride".
I started to reflect on just how wild this ride has been at times, and then I did it, I Imagined Jesus on a roller coaster. I don't know about you, but if I were on a roller coaster he is the one person I would want sitting next to me. Imagine Jesus throwing his hands in the air as the coaster went soaring down the "big drop". Imagine Jesus nudging you with an exhilarated grin on his face, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks and he says, "this is nothing, you should ride a flaming chariot with me through the universe. Now that is a ride!"
We often look at life and the ups and downs as undesirable and something we could do without. I know I do. It is those ups and downs that make life interesting even a bit scary. Without the trials that we face how do we know what we can survive? How do we know to trust God completely when we can't see the bottom of that million foot drop? They strengthen our faith and prepare us for what is to come. I don't think the ride ever calms down. The coaster might go a bit slower the older you get, but it can still spin you pretty good. I used to tell God to stop the ride, I wanted off. Now, I'd like to experience what He has in store. Whatever it is I know Jesus will be right there the whole way.
So Imagine Jesus on your coaster ride. He loves to see you smile and hear you laugh. He created you to to be joyful even when you don't feel like it. Remember that this ride is teaching you how to trust him completely and praise him when that big splash of water wipes out your make up and leaves you soaking wet and your heart racing. When you trust him on the ride its like flying in an F-15 with the most experienced pilot in the universe. No worries! Just play this song and sing it out "Coaster Ride"! It will be over before you know it. Then the real fun begins.
2 Kings 2:11 "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind."
Psalm 126:2 "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
Nehemiah 8:10 "the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 95:1 "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."
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