Stuck

Last week Ryan and I got stuck while riding the Millennium Force rollercoaster at Cedar Point.  We were near the top of the very first big hill when the ride came to a complete halt.  

We had anticipated that this rollercoaster (peaking at over 300 feet) would be exciting (and maybe a little scary) but we never expected to get stuck while riding it!

Isn’t this just like life? 

We make plans, we set goals, and we look forward to the next big thrill.  We know to anticipate that life will come with ups and downs and twists and turns.  The hardest part, the scariest part, the part of the journey that we don’t anticipate though, is when it comes to a complete halt. 

Life stops when….

We lose a loved one.

We lose a job.

We get sick.

We have a loved one that gets sick.

The list goes on and on….

When life stops, we need to remember that God knew it would.  We may not have seen it coming, but He did. 

He sees the beginning, the end, and every “stuck” moment in between, and He is right there with us through it all. 

Throughout the Bible, there are stories of men and women who got stuck along the way.  One of the most powerful and moving stories can be found in the book of Daniel chapter 3, verses 8-30. 

Three young men get thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to worship gold idols.  The fire in the furnace is so hot, the guards that throw the bound young men into the furnace perish just by being near the flames, yet the three teenagers are completely unharmed. 

King Nebuchadnezzar can see the teens walking around in the furnace completely unharmed, and with them, he sees a fourth man, an “angel” walking with them. When these three teenagers were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar with the fiery furnace, they responded in a way that we should all emulate.  They said,

“The God we serve can save us, but even if he doesn’t, we remain committed to Him.”

Ryan and I weren’t quite as cool and calm as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when we were “stuck” on Millennium Force for 35 long minutes, but we did take comfort in knowing that He was with us.

One things we realized for sure is….

Life is like a rollercoaster.  It will be filled with ups, downs, twists, and turns, and sometimes, you will unexpectedly get stuck on the ride.  When you do, remain faithful to Him.  He can see you through the fire.

Many Blessings,