There are a variety of roller coasters. Some that loop. Some that go backward. Some are steel and some wooden. Some twist and turn and some just drop straight down.
All of the roller coasters in the world are balancing between fun and fright. We call these “thrill rides”. They jolt us around, make us dizzy, twirl our insides all over the place, and mess up our hair. But there is something exciting about the ordeal. There is some joy in the chaos.
Our lives are like a thrill ride. Circumstance, setting, and season twist us around. They plunge us deep and fly us high. Sometimes our insides feel like they have dropped out. Other times we are so dizzy we feel sick. But if we have the correct perspective, the thrill remains through it all.
Life is an incredible journey. It is a gift from God. It is a never-to-be-repeated experience wherein we have the opportunity to walk by faith. And the key to thriving in a world that can be topsy-turvy is thankfulness. If we see our amazing adventure through the eyes of faith, we can actually give thanks “for all things” because we understand the incredible privilege we have to participate in the journey.
The thrill ride of life enriches us in a variety of ways. It challenges and convicts us. It develops character and intimacy through pain and perseverance. It shows us glimpses of glory beyond what we could have imagined. It takes us beyond ourselves while making us deeply aware of ourselves. All of it is an opportunity. All of it is a cause for thankfulness.