But that's not how it is. You get on the ride and you slowly inch and jerk your way up and around while they load all the other riders—all the while you're trying to figure out how you let yourself get talked into this. When you finally make it back to the starting point, you're not done. Oh no! That's when they throw it into high gear and you're stuck forever. Up. Around. Down. Around. Up. Around. Until you think you might just try climbing out and down and your self control is about to snap.
Out of desperation, you try talking to your seat mate in the hopes that distraction will help. It helps, but only a little. You're still going up and down and you're still miserable. Are you doomed forever? Or at least until the ride finally grinds to an end and you inch and jerk your way back down and can get off?
No, you don't have to be doomed. I learned an important lesson while at the top of a ferris wheel. If you take your focus off your immediate surroundings and look as far off as you can, it doesn't seem so bad.
My life these days has left me feeling like I'm on a ferris wheel again, and it's not been a nice feeling! My emotions have been spinning so fast I don't know which end is up and I was ready to try climbing down when I finally remembered what I had learned.
My focus was in the wrong place. I was wrapped up in each passing moment, my eyes fixed on the here and now, and as a result I was up, down, and all around, a hundred times over. When I turned and deliberately looked at my Savior, and focused entirely on Him, the pitching and rolling of my emotions slowed and eased. Fear unwrapped its fingers from my throat, worry converted to prayer, and peace filtered into my soul. Is everything peachy and perfect? No, not at all, but the pitching and rolling of my emotions has settled enough so that I'm not thinking about climbing out anymore.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. ~Hebrews 12:1-3
When we take our eyes off our circumstances we see that there's more to life than just the little ride we're on. There's an eternity that we need to keep in mind and live accordingly.
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Perfectly perfect food for my heart, mind and soul. Perfectly perfect Truth.
ReplyDeleteThank you, sister.
Even though I AM a fan of ferris wheels, I can definitely relate to this feeling--and your advice is top-rate. Focus on Him, and anything can be managed. Wonderfully done, my dear.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I think the Lord is really trying to tell me something. Thanks for being His mouthpiece!
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