Some days everything just seems overwhelming. Whether it’s been an exhausting workday or I’m feeling overcome by my sin, whether I’m agonising over some social screwup or just woke up feeling crap, sometimes it just feels too much. On these days and in all honesty on many of my good days as well, life feels like it’s just one massive never ending rollercoaster. Full of ups and downs and random twists and turns and arbitrary rolls. Often it feels like I’ve been riding this rollercoaster since forever with forever more to go.
The metaphor seems pretty dark and hopeless. But rollercoasters aren’t all lows, there are plenty of highs and life has plenty of fun and laughter and joy.
And then there’s the stop at the end, see this rollercoaster is an inadequate metaphor for life and life doesn’t end where it started. It ends somewhere else altogether. In the end it is the knowledge and hope of the stop at the end of the rollercoaster that keeps the highs in perspective, puts the lows in their place and propels me through the nebulous depths. The thing about this journey is that I’m not riding blind. I know exactly where I’m going. This metaphorical rollercoaster was the most expensive in all of metaphor land but has the most amazing destination.
And I will know that every single bit of the rollercoaster journey to get here was worth it because this place is where I was always supposed to be.The metaphor seems pretty dark and hopeless. But rollercoasters aren’t all lows, there are plenty of highs and life has plenty of fun and laughter and joy.
And then there’s the stop at the end, see this rollercoaster is an inadequate metaphor for life and life doesn’t end where it started. It ends somewhere else altogether. In the end it is the knowledge and hope of the stop at the end of the rollercoaster that keeps the highs in perspective, puts the lows in their place and propels me through the nebulous depths. The thing about this journey is that I’m not riding blind. I know exactly where I’m going. This metaphorical rollercoaster was the most expensive in all of metaphor land but has the most amazing destination.
At the end of the journey, after the tears and joy, pain and ecstasy, hope and despair, there is a destination where there is none of that. No more weeping or mourning or crying or pain or death or stomach turning twists. And there, waiting on the platform as the rollercoaster pulls in is this guy, but he’s not waiting. He’s been there every step of the way, even the parts of the rollercoaster I rode alone he has been there. Waiting is maybe the wrong word, it’s more like here at the end of this neverending rollercoaster this constant companion throughout the journey has finally been fully revealed.
Up to this point I have been aware of this guy. Now though, tears flooding down my face in a torrent of shameless emotion I get to run to his arms, like a husband seeing his wife for the first time after a long time apart or a child seeing their parent for the first time in ages...but a thousand times better... Finally I understand all of who he is and what I mean to him. And that guy standing there on this platform will hold me at arms length and look me in the eyes. He will take his thumb and wipe the tears from my face and softly he will say “well done, my good and faithful servant”.
And it will be well with my soul.
