Roller Coaster Faith

I’m not a big fan of roller coasters, or of theme parks in general for that matter, though I’ve been to several over the years. In high school our band went to Disney World, and of course I had to ride Space Mountain. In the middle of the ride, the cars came to a stop and the lights came on inside the mountain. There was some malfunction that they had to fix. They let us all ride a second time so we could get the full experience. Somehow the ride isn’t the same once you’ve seen that the tracks just circle around inside an undecorated dome. But I’d prefer to see where I’m going anyway.

Sometimes it feels like life is a roller coaster in the dark. We are never quite sure whether we’re headed uphill, about to drop off a cliff, or taking a sudden turn. At least as Christians we have the assurance that we’re buckled into the car and staying on God’s tracks. Eventually the ride will end safely for us no matter where it takes us in the meantime. “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16 NIV).

We’d probably all love to see where the tracks are going in the coming days, months, and years, but only God knows those details and He isn’t telling. If we could see the big drop coming, we’d probably get anxious about it or try to change the tracks. Instead, when we find ourselves heading for the valley we have to trust that God still has His hand on us. And if we could see a coming mountain, we might worry that the climb will be too arduous. Yet the Father is the one making it possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34 ESV). And Paul reminded us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6 ESV). God knows that we are weak and we can’t handle full knowledge of the future and still keep trusting Him. Today is enough trouble, and these few hours are enough to test our faith. If we can’t trust Him for our daily bread, how can we trust Him with life, family, career, and even death? If we know exactly what the future holds, why would we need faith?

I guess what makes some people love roller coasters is the adrenaline rush of being out of control, yet they know in the back of their mind that everything is completely under control. It feels dangerous and yet it isn’t. I would bet that there are some people who have ridden Space Mountain so many times that they have the track almost memorized. Would that still be as fun?

Part of the joy of being a Christian is that no matter what happens we are under the Master’s control. We can sit back and enjoy the ride with our fellow believers because we know the final destination. One day we’ll get to look back and see that all the mountains, valleys, and turns in our lives weren’t nearly so bad as we’d imagined at the time. Everything was used for a purpose and accomplished God’s will in our lives. But for now we’ll have to look ahead and face each day with faith and hope.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jer. 29:11 NIV).