Is It Truly Possible to Have an Enjoyable Ride?

A few years ago, one of my dear sisters in law told me that I needed to just chill and "enjoy the ride." 

To tell you the truth, I've never known how to do such a thing. 

Sigh...

The other day, as I was on a plane coming back from a work trip, I started thinking about how much I detest air-travel.  The whole thing makes me really anxious.  From packing, to going through security, to dealing with delays...the whole thing is a nightmare.  The worst part for me is the actual flying.  I have to kind of suspend my disbelief in order to get on board of a plane...because...if I truly think about what I am doing...I would panic!  I mean, really...flying???  Who ever thought that was a good idea?  55 thousand feet up in the air without anything to catch you if something goes wrong!  'Comon!?

Sigh...

So, I try not to think about it.  It is easier if I'm traveling with someone else, because I could get distracted in mindless chatting.  Cruising altitude...nice and smooth...good conversation...no problem!  Until the darn turbulence hits!

It's like I've forgotten where I am, and the bump just slaps me on the face to wake up! 

That's how I feel about life.  Just when I feel like I'm cruising...attempting to enjoy the ride...a bump literally pops up and disrupts any semblance of balance.

How am I supposed to enjoy the ride if the pesky bumps keep showing up when I least expect them?

Big pause...

Perhaps, the key is in what Scripture tells us:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (Psalm 37: 4-6) And that, "for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29: 11) Therefore, I just need to "Be still" and know that He is God! (Psalm 46: 10).

I have to admit, that up until today, I always thought the expression, "enjoy the ride" was a call to a completely, carefree-existence, where problems were not part of the road being traveled and if there were problems, they were easily ignored. That's not what the pieces of Scripture above imply, though.  In each of these examples of biblical wisdom, the message between the lines is, that we need to intentionally choose to have a transformation of the way we view things/problems/circumstances in life. 

Don't lean on your own understanding kind of says, that your understanding of the current situation is flawed.  Therefore, if you follow it, it will lead you to the wrong conclusions.  The situation is bad, so don't look at it from your own perspective.  Lean on God's! 

All things work together for good is implying that, even though all things might not be good, trust that He will make them work for good in the end.

In Jeremiah's 29: 11, God invites us to place our trust in His plan, and to believe that it is good.  If it was obviously good to the human perception, He would not have to emphasize that it is good, would He?

And, the call to being still is the ultimate "calm down!" expression in which God is basically saying, I know, things don't look good from your eyes, but let me be God!  I can handle it.  You just sit still and wait.

Sigh...

Maybe, the expression, "enjoy the ride" means that we need to learn how to discover the beauty of everything that is part of the ride of life, including the bumps... 

Sigh...

I don't like it when my cruising hits rough spots.  But I pray that the Holy Captain of my flight of life helps me to trust Him fully, for He knows what He is doing and I'm in the best of hands.