Random Thoughts

Yesterday, I accompanied 32 other people to Adventureland, an amusement park near Des Moines, and had a great time! The reason for the trip? Haley and Moriah earned the trip for memorizing a certain amount of Bible verses throughout the school year at our church's KidZone. There were 24 students who earned the incentive, and 9 adults. I was fortunate enough to be one of the adults!

Dan was able to take the day off from work, buy some air conditioners, install them, take care of Brooke and Case, and unload some concrete at his parents - all in the same day. I'm thankful he gave me the chance to get out, as I really had a great time. I even had moments to ponder...

So, while I was staring death in the eye during a trip on the Tornado, I did manage to have some more random, inspiring thoughts.

First, next year I'll be back with another child, who will hopefully rise to the occasion and memorize Scripture with a passion. And then the next year, too, as these are 4th and 5th graders that get to go on this trip. How encouraging it is for them to hide words that will last for all time in their hearts. Words that will hopefully keep them from comitting sins and words that will encourage them to do the right thing. Words that help them see others first and set aside themselves for later.

And then I thought forward eight or nine years, when two of my children (possibly three) are high school graduates, and I'll be back again at this theme park with my fourth. How will he be? Or yet, how many rides will I actually attempt then? I certainly didn't see many people over 45 riding rides!

I thought of how time slips away, and before you know it, life is gone. Fleeing. And what is eternity like? Does it exist? Is everything I know and hold to be true, because I've read a great portion of the Bible, have studied it in fact,..., is that to be? And even if I doubt or if I go on and disregard it all, and it does actually exist, then my doubts and fears are useless.

So, again, picture me screaming my head off, wondering if they've done the inspections, hoping my name doesn't end up in some newspaper article on page 33 of the New York Times reporting the collapse of a rollercoaster in Iowa that killed all aboard, picture me thinking of these things because I'm certain I'm about to die. Now picture me at the end of the ride, thanking God I'm still alive, that the ride is safe (for this time - it might not be next time I ride), and pondering about life & death, about the fleeing of time, about children - the paths they are heading down, the curves I feel I need to steer them around, and finally me letting it all out of my hands into One's whose hands can handle it all.

It was peaceful...like the moment at the top of the rollercoaster, when the clanking is done, no one is screaming yet, it's silent, just a gentle breeze whistles, and...