This blog is by amazing sister Dana Guitron about what God has laid on her heart, I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!
I used to love roller roasters. I loved the idea of not being in control and the ride taking you wherever it pleased. You are locked in, committed, excited about the high dose of adrenalin you are about to receive. They were thrilling and addicting.
I have had a change of heart. As I have gotten older they make me sick and ready for a full-on panic attack. The fact that someone has the power to lock me in, press a button, and BOOM I’m on a ride of ups and downs that I cannot control.
A lot like life.
Tonight, as I sit here feeling the side effects of adrenalin wearing off I wonder when I will be able to convince the Controller of this ride to unlock my seat and let me jump off this thing as fast as possible?
My husband and I currently live in the basement of my parent’s house. It’s a cozy little apartment that they have graciously let us live in rent free while our business grows. As we were getting our two littles ready for bed with lots of kisses, tickles, and giggles the fire alarms started blaring throughout the whole house. As I figured maybe my dad was just stoking the fireplace I nonchalantly walked upstairs to check it out. Once I got about half way up the stairs I realize I hear lots of running around and worried shouts. When I reach the upstairs, I see smoke everywhere and my dad running with a fire extinguisher. The chimney is on fire. Here goes the scary part of this ride again.
As we are all standing out in the snow wrapped in blankets, I look at my mom and I see something I don’t see in her often, defeat. I know exactly what she is thinking, “I can’t take anymore…”. You see, we have all been on this torturous ride together. But as firemen fill our house with axes, giant pliers, and heavy-duty masks, one verse keeps repeating in my mind.
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
Psalms 9:9
Now oppressed is a powerful word. The word means “harsh treatment”. As I look back on the past 11 months and try to match up the word with the events that have occurred the word becomes smaller and smaller. It seems whenever this ride becomes steady and slow it changes pace and it spins us, flips us, and drops us.
Looking back on these events I feel like I have been begging the Controller of this painful, overwhelming ride to “please press the stop button!”. Instead I need to be asking Him to come and sit with me, hold me, keep me steady.
Satan is that annoying passenger in the back that keeps screaming “Again! Again!” with that evil skin crawling laugh. The one you want to turn around a yell at but you are too weak to actually turn around. He likes the thrill of seeing people squirm and watching their bodies be thrown from side to side. But what if we asked the Controller to hop in the seat with us, hold us tight and upright? Do you think you would enjoy the ride more? You wouldn’t be thrown in ways that make you want the ride to come to a halt. You would start to feel stronger, secure, maybe even laugh when satan wants to go another round. Why? Because the Controller is on your side! He wants to hold you through these ups and downs of life. He wants you to ask Him to help, lean on Him, and give Him your fears of what’s to come.
As I lay here thanking God for protecting us and our house tonight I try not to do the “what if?’ game. What if this ride just keeps going down? What if this isn’t coming to an end anytime soon? Will this drop go so deep we can’t see the end anymore? The past 4 months I have been dealt a strong hand of anxiety. It has crippled my life in ways I never could have imagined. I have had to learn to ask God to hold me and take control. That’s hard! I like control! But I have realized that when I give up that control and rest my head on that strong arm around me, I am able to get through the ups and downs the way God intended. I am stronger because I have given up the want for control. I can enjoy this ride I have been placed on, no matter if I’m down or up. God has wrapped his strength around me so tight that my sides aren’t hurting from being thrown against the ride. So instead of being thrown and having satan enjoy the view, I am strong enough to turn around, yell back at satan and say,
“Ready? Let’s do this…”
I hope this encourages you do to the same.
