Zip! Zing! ZOWIE!…What a feeling! I want to enjoy this super high for the rest of my life. Many of us have been on the roller coaster rides and you walk up to the ride, a little scared, a little excited, and even a little intimated by this huge monster looming before you. You sit in the seat and they strap you in for your safety. I’ve often wondered what would happen if they didn’t strap you in? Hmm! I wonder, sometimes, don’t you? I guess you had better be holding on for dear life, right? Now it begins. The roller coaster starts, and your heart is racing as you climb that first mountain of track. At the same time, you are trying to anticipate what the thrill will be like. You are sent hurtling down the other side and then whoosh around this corner, and fly around the next turn. Then there is that slight rest as you start to climb again…this is the time to take a breath before it starts all over again. At the end, you step out cautiously from the ride and steady yourself before you walk down the stairs and back to reality.
I experienced something like the roller coaster just recently. There is an event coming up in March next year that I am very involved with. My experience in the past has been when events are planned, it is a long and difficult road with many twists and turns. Finally, shaking, the event starts. The feelings and thoughts come: “Did I make the right decision coming here? Did I do everything I could to make this work out right? What if the women don’t like what I put together? Why am I even doing this?” Do you see a pattern in the questions? It is all centered around me, and what I wanted to do. How utterly ridiculous that is. In all the planning, I left out the most important element of the event…GOD.
In the planning this time, what makes the difference is that it is His event. God has given me a much needed mind-shift. What a difference! I have not forgotten who should be at the center of it all. Do you know who that is? It is God! He is the Master of it all. I know the enemy is hard at work trying to stop this event from being successful. I was having that old self-centered feeling of doing it my way, and it just wasn’t working. I was allowing others to try to tell me what to do and how to plan it. As a result of that doubt, fear and whatever else you want to call it came rushing back in and I was fearful and depressed. I was at the lowest part of my ongoing roller coaster ride. This time I reached out to God and He answered in a mighty way. Through just one phone call, all my fears and depression was gone in an instant. It was almost beyond belief that God fixed everything with one call and the enemy went crawling away in defeat. Praise God for once again coming to my rescue. The spiritual high was almost overwhelming. Then I knew, without a doubt, that this event will be a huge success because it is God’s and not mine. The realization hit me; once again, I am His instrument to do what He wants. In my weakness, He is strong.
Through this experience, God has shown me that He needs to be in everything that I do, think, and say. Through my uncertainty and weakness He is always there to guide and direct my path. His Word says, “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, and keep a firm grip on you.” Do you want that spiritual high? Or do you want to constantly be riding that roller coaster with its ups and downs? If not, it is time to reach out and take ahold of the hands of God. He is waiting for you.
PASSAGE: Isaiah 40:10 (The Message)
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