Eyes Wide Open!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16: 13

It was a picture perfect day to spend at the amusement park. The weather was gorgeous and the lines were short. After resolving a few “issues” at home, our moods were good and the kids and I were ready to have some serious fun. We walked through the gates and quickly went to Dylan’s first request. He wanted to start with the Pirate Ship which swings you back and forth at a pretty decent height, particularly for a middle-aged woman who suffers from vertigo! As we began to climb higher and higher, the “tickle” as Dylan calls it, intensified, so I heard myself telling him: “remember you can always close your eyes if you get scared.”

Dylan didn’t need my advice…his face was gleaming with delight! He was loving the ride. I realized then that I had said that to myself since soon I felt the need to shut my own eyes tightly as the ship’s motions increased. A few seconds later the ride was over. Dylan was glowing with excitement. Last time we had been at the park he had not been able to relax enough to enjoy this particular ride, so the fact that he had done it and loved it was a huge success for him. He felt brave. He had been able to extract the fun without letting the scary ruin the ride. The whole thing had suddenly become way sweeter!

We walked to the next one. It was a bit more challenging as it was higher. I agreed to go on it and as I sat there with my chest against the support and my hands firmly gripping the handle bar, I remembered the experience on the previous ride. I decided then that I was going to do what Dylan did and not follow my own advice. I decided I was not going to close my eyes. I sensed the ride beginning to move so I tightened my grip. The thing began to smoothly swing back and forth as it spun around with each swing. We climbed higher and higher and we spun faster and faster. I forced myself to keep my eyes wide open. It was so much more enjoyable! I could feel my face beaming with delight!

It was scary and exciting and challenging and a bit nerve-racking, but it was wonderful! It was a fulfilling experience and I had been able to not miss a second of it. I took the good with the not so good, and realized the amazing far outweighed the fearsome, but if I had let the scary overpower me I had been inclined to shut my eyes and miss the wonder that comes with the bad…hmm…

For the rest of the day, I was intentional about keeping my eyes open in every ride. At the end of the day, I was praising God for the marvelous day at the park. It had truly been picture perfect in every way.

Open my eyes that I may see

wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119: 18