Rollercoaster
Last week I saw in the news that a man called Ryan Hackett, 61, from Milford Haven, has been riding the ‘Megafobia’ rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, for more than 25 years!
The BBC reported, ‘A man's love affair with a wooden rollercoaster has resumed and he has finally enjoyed his 6,000th ride after it was delayed by the pandemic.’
Well done Mr Hackett, that’s some achievement! I’ve heard it said that ‘life’ is like being on a rollercoaster, full of twists and turns and up’s and downs.
When all is well, life can be good, but when tragedy, loss or unexpected pain comes then life becomes much harder. We have all experienced some of that since Covid-19 struck.
I read this recently in the Bible about someone going through a hard time, which I believe can help…
“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
It is generally thought that the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, wrote the book of Lamentations. As the title suggests, this book is a collection of poetic laments as the author witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.
Jeremiah bears his soul as his city and people were crushed. I wonder if it even caused him to fall into depression?
In this low state, he found hope as he remembered something about God. He recalled that God’s love and compassion never stop, they don’t run out and are fresh each day.
No matter how bad things were, he knew that God was able to stop him from being overwhelmed by all that was surrounding him. He could trust God and His faithfulness.
You may feel like you’ve hit the bottom, and that everywhere you look things are dark or bad. Perhaps you feel like you have nowhere to go or no one to turn to.
There is hope and good news! Let me encourage you to turn to God. He is bigger than what you are facing. He loves you, He is compassionate, and He is faithful.
Let me conclude with how The Message Bible puts Jeremiah’s response to this revelation: ‘I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left’.
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader