The You … You Are: Life Is a Roller Coaster

When I was 4 years old I fell off a small roller coaster in a neighbor’s backyard.  Since then I’ve been terrified of roller coasters.  When my son was 10 years old he wanted to spend a day with Dad at a nearby amusement park.  The moment we entered the gates he ran as fast as he could to the park’s legendary rickety wooden roller coaster.  How could I disappoint him?

We got in a car – the front car, of course – and strapped ourselves in.  The ride began and we climbed the first steep incline.  On my left was a small building for the power and control systems.  I calculated the odds of surviving a jump onto the roof of the building.  At that instant, my son said, “Dad, isn’t this great?”  I thought, “Yeah, great!”  During this momentary distraction, I missed my chance to bail out and was irreversibly committed to the ride.

We reached the apex and for an instant the car seemed to hang in thin air before it lurched downward.  I don’t remember what I yelled as we hurtled toward earth at dizzying speeds, but I’m sure it wasn’t, “Wow, this is great!”  Incredibly, something happened as we finished our first descent and climbed toward our second assault.  I started to enjoy myself, at least enough to stop screaming at the top of my lungs.  When the ride ended, my son jumped out of the car and said, “Dad, let’s go again!”

Life is a roller coaster – a series of ups & downs followed by stretches of level ground. Like a roller coaster, sometimes life turns sideways and even upside down. But through it all, God incorporates these life events – the good, bad, and ugly – into His marvelous plan for your life. He promises, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLV).

God didn’t cause or initiate any of these events; rather, in His foreknowledge He allowed them to occur. They are parts of His plan to mold and shape you into the person you are becoming. Whatever occurred in your past was not accidental; rather, God intentionally allowed them to take place to refine your character and prepare you for your unique ministry assignment.

Because you have free will, many of your life events are the result of your decisions. Some decisions were wise and brought positive results; others were unwise and led to disaster; and still other experiences happened, not because of your choices, but through the actions of others. But remember … none of these events were caused by God; all of them can be traced back to the free will of yourself or others.

PEAKS
The peaks are the high points of your life – moments that were so wonderful you wish you could relive them. Peaks may point to your unique ministry assignment. An experience that impacted you positively and profoundly may be something you want others to experience, too. For example, for 20 years I’ve had a spiritual mentor that has helped me navigate the challenges of life. I wish every Christian could have a spiritual mentor in his or her life, too.

PITS
The pits are the low points of your life – moments that were so painful you hope to never relive them again. The pits may also point to your unique ministry assignment. An experience that impacted you negatively and greatly may be something you want to help others to endure, too. For example, in 2003 my wife of 30 years died unexpectedly. Without question it has been the most painful experience of my life. I have a deeper sensitivity to those who have lost loved ones and want to help them through the grieving process to recover and move on with their lives.

PATTERNS
Finally, as you reflect on your life story you may find a pattern of similar events interspersed throughout. These patterns provide clues to the way God has been preparing you to serve others. For example, from grade school until this very day God continually has provided opportunities for me to speak and teach in both small and large groups. Amazingly, I hadn’t recognized this common theme until I took time to examine my own life story.

Please review your personal life story from your earliest experiences until the present. Identify both your peaks and pits, and then look for patterns – common themes in your life. You may have an “aha” moment as you see for the first time that there is a clear pattern of similar events. Ask God to give you eyes to see and a heart to accept whatever you discover. Once you see the pattern, ask God to help you pursue it in serving others with all your heart.

© 2011 Designed to Serve®