Learning to Love the Ride!

I don’t know about you, but my life feels like a constant roller coaster.

There are highs and there are lows. There are moments of sheer terror and moments of complete exhilaration. Times where I love the ride and then there are the times when I just want to get off and be a quiet spectator on the sideline.

Selling our house has been one of the biggest, scariest, spine-tingling rides I have been on for a while. Last week it was like one of those freefall rides. You know the ones? They take you to the top and leave you dangling there, for what seems like an eternity, and then drop you like a 100-pound boulder. All in the name of fun!

Just before Easter we got an offer (actually we got 2 offers!) on our property and we were stoked. It was like we were strapped in and the ride was slowly taking us to the top, enjoying the view on the way, and excited at the prospect of what was coming next.

But then there was a problem with the City Council and the guy pulled out of the contract. That my friend is the moment they drop you from the top! You leave your heart somewhere up in the clouds, your stomach is in your throat and there is this terrifying moment when you wonder why you ever thought this was a good idea. All the way down you are trying to scream, but nothing seems to be coming out! You are holding on for dear life and your knuckles are white from clinging so tightly. You are not understanding the fun you are meant to be having and all the way down you are crying out “WHY!”

You get to the bottom and you think to yourself “Well, that wasn’t fun, I don’t really want to do that again!” But Hubby reminds you that you are securely strapped in and next time it will be more fun! Next time we will know what to expect. And so we stay strapped in waiting for it to start all again.

And so the guy comes back and say’s he wants to make this work! So up we go again! Trying to take in more of the view this time and trying to enjoy the ride for what it is. And so we get to the top and we wait. And we wait. And we wait. We know something is going to happen, it has to, we can’t stay up here forever, but it feels like we have been waiting an eternity. But as we wait, we look around and we enjoy the view, and what a view it is when you get it all in perspective! We remember why we jumped on this ride and begin to enjoy the waiting, the anticipation and the excitement of what is to come. But still we wait!

And then the house is sold! The cord is pulled and we plummet to the bottom again! This time with our hands lifted high, laughing and enjoying the rush.

So, what I have learned through this process, is that, yes life is like a roller coaster, but it is our choice whether we hold on tight screaming the whole way, with our eyes shut tight, wishing we could just hop off, or we can relax and enjoy the ride. I for one, want to enjoy the ride, eye’s wide open experiencing all I can along the way. The highs, the lows and everything in between.

And now we start the process of finding somewhere to live. And so, as we ascend again, I am keeping my eye’s open, enjoying every moment of it, and trusting in the maker and operator of this wonderful ride we call life!