Articles
Life has Its Ups and Downs
Have you ever been to a theme park like Six Flags or Disney World? When I was a kid, I could go and stay all day and deep into the night at Six Flags. I could never get enough. Now I just like to go see the shows. There was not a ride I could not or would not try. The wilder the better.
Roller coaster rides are exciting. They have twists and turns, highs and lows, excitement, anticipation, fear, and relief. The Spindle Top was always fun. It would suck you up against the wall and the floor would drop out from under you, then it would spin. It seemed like it would never end. The Log Ride was everybody’s favorite, especially in the middle of the day. It did not matter that you would get soaked. It cooled you off.
Once the rides start, there is no turning back. Hang on! How you handle it determines whether you get off excited or saying, “Never again.”
Life is like that Roller Coaster, Spindle Top, and Log Ride. First, life has its ups and downs. It would be nice if we could always live on top of the world. But life also has its downs and valleys. Second, at times it seems like life is spinning out of control and the bottom has dropped out of everything. Third, then comes those moments of refreshment. Those times when you get to cool off and see through all the ups and downs.
Unfortunately, when people feel fear, anxiet,y and stress, they want to try and get off in the middle of the ride. They try to escape, but they are about to crash. The key is not to escape but keep going. Even though we may feel like we will crash, eventually the ride will stop or will reach the top once again.
When we remind ourselves that life is not one continual climb upward but filled with ups and downs and spinning around, we can see it is just part of the journey. It is just temporary and if we flow with it, we will rise above it and be on the upswing before we realize it. But some do not flow with the ups and downs. They hold on so tight it creates stress in their lives, and they are miserable. They “white knuckle” life like they do the bars on the ride. They do not enjoy the ride. They are miserable.
If you have ridden a roller coaster, you likely held up your hands and screamed, yelled, and laughed. You enjoyed the ride. Well, in life hold up your hands, scream, yell, and laugh. Eventually the roller coaster will stop, and you can get off. Eventually the floor of the spindle top will come back under you and you will gain your footing. When the water of refreshment splashes all over you, enjoy the cool.
Enjoy life!
Rickie Jenkins
