I don't like roller coasters

Throughout my life I have done many things that the average person would never dream of attempting, from riding bulls in the rodeo circuit to fighting the good fight on dark streets and alleys. Honestly there has been little I have encountered in this life that has caused fear to manifest itself within me. That said there is one thing that I definitely do not enjoy, not only do I not enjoy them, I refuse to even climb on one again, yes you guessed it, I hate roller coasters! Gotcha! I’m not sure if it is the fact that I am completely out of control, or if it is the climbing to heights that seem unnatural for a man, it may even be the speed with which things come at you, yet in reality I believe it is all of that and more. Once you make the choice to climb on to a roller coaster your fate is at the mercy of someone else, someone who may or may not be at the top of their game that day. I wonder, did they have an argument with their spouse today, are their children driving them nuts, are bill collectors knocking at the door, is this person an alcoholic or a drug addict? Worse yet, is he or she at the end of their rope, and is today the day they have decided to pour the wrath of their frustration out on humanity by crashing the ride? Yes I know it’s farfetched but like I said, “I don’t like roller coasters”!
However no matter how little I like roller coasters my family and I have been riding one for over three months and this ride has no end in sight. One moment we are up, the next we are down, one moment we see light at the end of the tunnel and the next we are in a tunnel with no light, then just about the time we get comfortable with our situation, we change direction, yup just like a roller coaster. There are however few similarities between the rides we are on and one at your typical amusement park, you see we know who is operating this ride, and we know who is in control. There is no fear of outside influence, no concerns about retribution, or self indulgence, the operator of this ride cares more about us than we do and He would never allow anything to happen that would be more than we could handle. And while knowing that brings all of the comfort in the world there still a few things I struggle with, one I am not in control, you see this ride is not one I have chosen to be on, but rather one that was chosen for us. In addition we are being taken to heights of faith and trust that we could only imagine existed, yet I assure you that they do, and yes they are uncomfortable.
Yet in some strange way I must admit that I am beginning to comprehend what keeps roller coaster enthusiasts coming back for more. For them as with us with every new ride brings new confidence, new strength, and a desire for more. The truth is I still don’t like roller coasters however this ride is worth the journey, no matter where it takes us, yes I would like it to end and end soon, but the operator of this ride is the only one who can bring it to a stop and until He does we will keep holding on.
This Tuesday Dawn will have her CT scan to determine if the chemo is having any effect on her tumors and cancer, please pray for us, we could use some good news. We won’t know the results for another week and our prayer would be that the tumors have shrunk and that the cancer is being defeated. Until then we ride, we laugh, we smile, we learn, and we grow stronger, thanks for joining us on our adventure after all you don’t have to be here, you choose to! Oh did I mention the fact that “I don’t like roller coasters”?
Gene