A Time to Chill

{by Hailey Sadler}

Well hello again.

It’s been a while, my dear readers. And if it feels like a while to you since anything’s happened on here, believe me it feels even longer to me because for most of that time I was without my baby uh, computer. :)

After my computer failed me [well, to be honest, it wasn’t entirely its fault… ] I had a choice. I could either panic, freak out, and become desperately depressed or just shrug and see how the ride goes. So what did I choose to do? Panic, freak out, and become desperately depressed of course. However, it was for an admirably short period time, because when it sank in how wholly beyond my control the situation was [besides calling the repair store an average of twice a day] I decided on the just-go-for-the-ride attitude.

I recommend that approach.

It is pretty obvious that there’s a lot in life we can’t control. Geniuses that we are, though, we can’t seem to fully comprehend this and expend extravagant amounts of energy, effort, and emotion on circumstances and events beyond the scope of our power. Sometimes this energy and anxiety expending habit is productive and positive. But sometimes… we just need to chill.

Now, I’m not saying don’t be a fabulous forward thinking, initiative taking, go-getter or anything positive and admirable like that. [Please, be my guest.] It’s just that I think sometimes we can benefit from prying our clenched, white-knuckled fingers off the steering wheel and kicking back in the passenger seat for a little while. Just seeing how the ride goes. Where it takes us.

My favorite rollercoaster at Busch Gardens, if I could decide on a favorite rollercoaster, would probably be the Griffin, where you hang facedown, suspended over 200’ in the air for several long seconds before the 90-degree drop. It’s such a cool moment, hanging there. You’re strapped in. You can’t go anywhere [even though your sister may be screaming at you to help get her out of here]. And you’re about to go on a wild ride. To quote Rapunzel from Tangled, “Struggling is pointless.” [Yes, I’ve seen that movie about twice per little sister I have.] So why not just walk the journey out and see where it takes you? There’s freedom in letting go of your grasping desire to micromanage and finding security in knowing God is at the controls [which is infinitely more comforting than the teenager who looks like it might be his first time running this thing] so you can just hang on for the ride.

Yes, there are times when mapping out the future, and frantically poring over the map to find where your next turn is in this mess of directions, is the way to go. We've all done it; sometimes it needs to be done. But on occasion, the most productive course of action is putting your feet up on the dashboard and cranking up some Johnny Cash. [...Or whatever you listen to if you aren’t enlightened enough to swear blind devotion to the Man in Black]. It's handing over to God the directions, the map, the wheel, the course, the whole nine yards, and saying "I'm game. Take me where You will."

Sometimes, for all our good intentions, we need to just relax. And enjoy the ride.

At least, that’s my opinion.

What do you think?

~Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Bible in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO what a ride!" ~