Friday, January 25, 2013

the ride of your life

I've been going through Genesis with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF - it's international so there may be one near you if you want to check it out). It's amazing how much God has been speaking to me through Abraham's story and the whole trusting/believing Him thing.

This week we're reading about Sarah and the birth of Isaac and how God brought her laughter with his birth. And I think that is the kind of joy and laughter we can expect when we believe Him to do the impossible and wait on Him to bring life where it appears no life exists.


I wonder if that's why He had Abraham and Sarah wait so long. He could have given them Isaac earlier, just after Sarah went through menopause. But perhaps He wanted to remove even the slightest inkling in their minds that they could conceive a child on their own. There must have been a reason He wanted them to recognize they pretty much had one foot in the grave before He gave them new life and resurrected what was dead (see Romans here).

This brought me such hope because Dave and I are at the beginning of the waiting season. We're not sure how God is going to work all the details out and how close to He will bring us to death in certain areas of our lives. Because some things have to die before we see resurrection.

But what do we do in the meantime, while we await the resurrection, while we feel we are hanging, on barely to our hope, our dreams, our life

I think we choose to believe we're on the roller coaster ride of our life. Maybe it's cliche, but hang with me for a moment.

I think most people would agree roller coasters are thrilling to ride. Right?

We find joy in feeling our stomachs reach our throats, scare ourselves with the plummet down the first big hill and get banged around the loops and twists and turns of the track. We perceive this is fun because we trust the safety mechanisms will hold and the car will stay on the track.

Imagine that exact same ride done in an ordinary car. Not so fun. I'd probably throw up or pass out from the sheer terror of it. Because I couldn't trust that everything would turn out all right in the end.

And that's what God's been speaking to me lately...that I'm to trust I'm on a roller coaster with Him the power behind the car and the safety net that will keep the car on the tracks. He whispers, "Enjoy the ride. I have you covered. And that first big hill? The one you're speeding down and convinced you're about to crash at the bottom? That's the one that's setting you up for the ride of your life. So enjoy it. Laugh out loud. Raise your hands in the air. Scream with joy. And I'll meet you there at the end."



 We're just gearing up for the real ride before us, chugging up that first hill. Click. Click. Click. Holding our breath, closing our eyes, anticipating what is to come. Click. And though I can't promise God I exactly adore the feeling of my stomach in my throat, I will ask Him to keep me trusting Him for the thrilling ride that's ahead. Because He's got this. It's in His hands.