I'll have to begin with an explanation of the title. One of my favorite rides at Disneyland is named, "California Screamin'." It's a unique experience. Most roller-coasters are designed with the same beginning. You get in, strap down and start by climbing a hill. You can hear the click, click, click as you notice how slowly you are climbing away from the earth before you plummet to the depths below. Not for those riding CA Screamin'. You strap in, stop and listen to a countdown, "In five, four, three, two, one...," and you take off. You shoot up the first hill going from zero to sixty in four seconds and drop 108 feet as you crest the 120 foot rise.
As we get ready to depart from CA and head to our new home in WA, I'm torn between the two experiences. Since we made our decision on April 26th, it has felt more like the traditional slow ascent. However, with one week to go, it starting to feel more like CA Screamin'. You know the anxiety you feel on the traditional rise of a coaster? You have that same anxiety on Screamin', you just don't have as much time to think about it. The thrill is the same for both, but there is something very attractive about the take off with speed and power that keeps me coming back for more.
Paul gave us all some good advice about times when life feels like a roller-coaster: Put the past behind and press on forward toward the upward call of God. One of my friends put it this way, "Never look back." Others say, "Bloom where you're planted." It's pretty much the same message no matter how you put it.
Right now my stomach is filled with anxiety and excitement. I've been waiting along time but have that nervousness that comes with the unknown. A sadness persists knowing that relocating changes everything. Regrets roll around as you question the "could haves" and "might have beens." There is the enticement of an open book that has yet to be written in just as you're hesistantly recording your latest thoughts in a journal with only a couple of pages left.
The good news is this: heaven awaits us all. People have all kinds of heavenly expectations. One of mine is reunited friends and an eternal party that gives us a chance to really experience fulfillment.
This time next week I'm going to Disneyland. I'm going to strap in and listen to that countdown. I'll be nervous, scared, excited...all at the same time. For those of you wondering...that's pretty much how life feels right now.
Goldman
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