Took my boys to Six Flags over Texas at the beginning of summer.
Actually, (honesty is good for the soul) it was during the last week of the school year. I mean, the weather is a bit cooler and the lines are much shorter so, yes, I’m that mom that takes her kids out of school for stuff like the State Fair of Texas in the fall or the Dallas Symphony Orchestra children’s special event in the winter. Between those random events and our ministry travel schedule my children are certainly not in line for the “Certificate of Perfect Attendance” Award.
Oh well. You can’t win ’em all.
So,I nabbed the boys out of school early on one of those final days and ventured down the highway for a half-day of fun and adventure. This has become our habit – ending the school year on roller-coasters with tummies full of cotton candy and lemonade. It’s just our way of celebrating their successful completion of another year and, (let’s be honest), MY successful completion of the year.
And this time, with their cousin Alena in tow, they rode ride after tail-spinning ride and enjoyed (almost) all of them, except for that one particularly intense coaster that had cliffs so steep and turns so sharp that every single one of them looked like terrified deer in highlights for the entire thing. It was funny. . . not to them. . . to me :).
Their favorite by far – was Runaway Mountain. It’s a coaster that was built inside a massive warehouse constructed to look like a mountain.
So, this ride is in the dark.
I wish you could have been there to see those kids waiting in line to ride. They wanted to do it so badly but they couldn’t hide the jitters and insecurities that they were having about the whole idea. They rang their hands, leaned against the wall and looked pensively up toward the front as they anxiously awaited their turn. The pummeled me with question after question about what was to come. As if I knew. I’d never been on Runaway Mountain and couldn’t give them one solid answer about what might be awaiting them.
So, we were just going to have to all be in the dark. . . together.
They were scared. In fact, I thought a couple of them were going to bail out altogether as our turn quickly approached.
In the end, they all got on. . .
. .
and, get this, they had the time of their lives!
In fact, it was soooo fun that they couldn’t wait to ride it again – FIVE TIMES OVER. That’s right, we got in the relatively short line over and over and over again and the same kids who had just been mortified before were now itching with enthusiasm and a excited anticipation as they eagerly waited for their next turn.
I’m so glad that in spite of their fear, they did it anyway.
Listen to me, do it scared, ok? Whatever it is that you’re steering clear of because you feel intimidated or outmatched by it, turned off by it or just plain ol’ fearful of it. If God is calling you to it, take the plunge and just do it. I know that moving forward in obedience into the mysterious unknown with God can be. . .well. . .dark and mysterious and unsure, but on the other side of your willingness to obey is an adventure with Him that you’ll want more and more and more of for the rest of your life.
I’ve written about this a little bit in this month’s Jewelry Box article. Click on the link, check it out and then come back here to tell me what you sense God calling you to do and how we can pray for you – that you’ll have a holy boldness and courage to move forward without reservation.
You are loved today,
Priscilla
