Life is Roller Coaster

This is a picture of the new roller coaster at the Kemah Boardwalk called the "Boardwalk Bullet." I took my son Jordan who is 5 on this massive roller coaster that was carved from one piece of wood! Actually, he is the one who wanted to go on it, and after numerous attempts to try and convince him otherwise, he insisted. I knew the whole time while we were standing in line that he had no idea what he was getting himself into, but I felt it would be a good opportunity for him amd I to learn some lessons. He was walking into it blind because he had no idea what to expect, and I was scared for him to say the least. While we were slowly creeping up to the peek of the wooden monument, I began to see reality set in for the little guy. He put his hands over his ears to try and drown out the overpowering rattle of the machine, and tucked his head into my side as if I were his only hope to survive the event that was about to take place. So I embraced him and put my arm around him, held him tightly, and cringed at the possible outcome of our overwhelming task. After we finally climbed to the top of the coaster, we beagn the fastest, heart dropping, most intense 2 minutes Jordan has ever experienced in his brief 5 years on this place we call earth. The drops, the bends, the speed, and the multitude of screams, drowned out any attempt on my part to hear the cries of my 5 year old, if there were any to be heard. As we finished the ride and sluggishly crept back into the starting blocks, I glanced over to see his eyes were as dry as mine, but the look on his face spoke a million words that never had to be spoken! After we exited the ride and began our descent back to reality, I began to brief him on what he had just experienced. He told me " You were right Daddy," and " That ride hurt my heart."(Surely speaking of the heart dropping 93' drop he had just endured.) While reflecting on our experience, I thought to myself how I am exactly like my 5 year old when it comes to this roller coaster we call life. Sometimes in my vain attempts to create my own way, I walk into things blindly, not knowing what to expect and put my hands over my ears and snuggle up with my heavenly father to comfort me through all of the speed, bends, and drops. Just as I put my arm around Jordan, he puts his arm around me and holds tightly as I walk down this road that he has mapped out for me. I often find myself with similar responses to God as my little daredevil 5 year old too. " You were right Daddy," and " This ride makes my heart hurt."