FLYER FEAR
Have you ever noticed how fearless kids are? They'll do things that make right-minded adults cringe!
When I was a boy, going to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto was an annual tradition. Summer wasn't over unless we made our pilgrimage to the CNE. Every visit had it's necessary customs. These were things that we had to do before the visit was considered "official". For instance, we had to consume vast quantities of cotton candy, snow cones, and other fair-specific-foods. We had to also visit the horse show, the international building, and try our luck at some of the midway games. But all of these activities were only the precursor to the REAL reason we went to the Ex, which, of course was the rides. The rides WERE the exhibition as far as I was concerned. Furthermore, the scarier the ride, the better.
I remember when I was finally tall enough to go on the Roller Coaster for the first time. What a day that was! You see, in order to get on the Roller Coaster, or the Flyer as it was called in Toronto, you had to stand beside this wooden boy, and be at least as tall as he was. Each year I would stand beside my nemesis and try to measure up. Year after year I was mocked. But, persistence paid off and finally my day came. I couldn't believe it. I was about to become a man!
I got in the line with my brother and inched my way to the front. Already my heart was pounding. As I sat down and felt that steel bar click into place, years of anticipation coursed through my veins. I'd be a liar if I didn't admit to a trace of fear. After all, I was dealing with the unknown, right? But I wasn't going to let that stop me!
Slowly, persistently, with jerky progression, we made our way up the first and highest hill. Time seemed suspended as the chain that pulled the train up the hill let go and gravity hadn't quite kicked in. At that moment, I felt like a king overlooking my vast domain. I could literally see for miles. Then, the moment of truth forcefully presented itself and gravity did it's best to rearrange our lunches. Down, around and up we went, slamming from one side of the seat to the other. The screams were so loud that they almost drowned out the sound of the train as it clanked, scraped, and smashed its way along the track.
By the time we hit the top of the third hill, the train was careening fast enough to literally lift us out of our seats! It was only my white knuckled grip on the bar across my legs, that held me in the train. Instantly I understood the height restriction and I was thankful that someone had the sense to keep me from this terror all those years. Obviously, I had misunderstood Woody, the cut-out boy. I had accused him of mocking me, but he ended up really being a comrade looking out for my best interests. Imagine!
As the car finally came to a stop, my hands ached from their battle against momentum and my eyes had momentarily forgotten how to blink. Then, with all the strength I could muster, I asked my brother, "Can we do it again?" Hey, after you've stared death down once, the second time is a cinch, right?
Ok, so what's the point of this up and down, side to side trip down memory lane? I will risk the danger of being considered obvious and unoriginal and suggest to you that our lives, our walks of faith have much in common with the Flyer. All of our journeys are filled with ups and downs. Who hasn't had life throw them a screaming curve that sent them sliding? Who hasn't encountered a few white-knuckled moments? But the question is, how do we deal with ride?
Let me make a few observations:
God is kind of like our Woody, the cut-out boy. He is the one who stops us from getting on the really scary rides before we are ready to handle them."No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."(1 Cor. 10:13).
All those years I thought I was being punished by Woody. I wanted to get into the game. I wanted to have some fun. I wanted to play with the big boys. But, I just wasn't ready. Aren't you glad we have a God looking out for us, protecting us from OURSELVES, and others!
If I didn't have that steel bar locked safely in place across my lap, the terror of the ride would have turned into a tragedy. It didn't take me too long to figure out that bar was there to save me and I instinctively hung on for dear life. Again, God is like that steel bar. We can handle the terror, we can handle the momentum, we can handle the gravity of life as long as our faith is securely locked under the unmovable love and protection of Jesus. The more hair-raising the ride, the harder we need to hold on to the Lord. Fact is that regardless of our situations, we can accomplish nothing for God if we don't hold on tight! "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."(John 15:5).
Finally, our trip to the CNE wasn't complete without the rides. The same is true for our faith. We have to get on the ride; we have to get in the game; we have to stop standing on the sidelines. I remember being afraid of the unknown as I sat there on the Flyer for the first time. It was a totally new experience, but I didn't let my fear stop me from getting on the ride. Are you on the ride? Are you strapped in and holding on tight? Don't worry about the ups and downs and curves. Jesus will always keep you on the right track!
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Phil. 3:12)
