Hey folks, welcome back! These past few weeks have been a blur: from the ‘Freedom Convoy’ in Ottawa – with protests in multiple Canadian cities and at the US/Canada borders – protesting against state forced vaccine mandates, to my house bound mental state being shaken like the Hawaii Chair, arguably the worst product ever made (close to the Potty Putter) Yes indeed, it’s been one roller coaster kind of week.
Speaking of roller coasters…(‘Great Segway, Christian’) this week also brought back memories of my family trip to Disneyland in 1995, when we were riding front row on the roller coaster ‘Splash Mountain’. The ride was fantastic till we got towards the end.
Before….
The Drop Of Dooooommmmmm (Echoooooo)
As our coaster log slowly edged toward the end of the tunnel, I remember seeing blue sky and nice fluffy clouds floating on by. A picturesque scene of beauty. It was then I realized… we were about to plummet to our deaths below (50 feet is super high for a 5 year old, okay? Maybe it’s still a little high for me today, just maybe).
In order to preserve myself from the impending disaster, I decided to slide myself under the safety bar that was holding me to my seat, and I curled myself into the fetal position at the nose of the roller coaster.
A necessary attempt for self preservation for a five year old.
Down we went….
SPLASH!
As the coaster cars evened out on the tracks below and we made our way back to the station, my disappearing act was discovered.
I remember my mother shouting “WHERE IS CHRISTIAN!?” as she looked down at the empty seat beside her. Looking back I can only imagine the thoughts going through her head as a parent. ‘Is he floating down the river some where? Did he get scooped up by the creepy motorized creatures in the tunnel we just came out of?’
Lo and behold, a whimpered reply come from below as my little head with my classic 90’s bowl haircut emerged from hiding…like Vision in his first comic book appearance, phasing through the wall into the Avengers mansion. (Vision is my favourite hero, okay? So I had to make a comparison here. He can phase into walls – I disappeared from my seat to the floor. Too much? Okay lets keep going.
My Splash Mountain terror ride ended my roller coaster experience… for…eve…rrr and I’ve never been on one since.
I have a feeling that will change though, as I am pretty certain that when my family venture to an amusement park someday, I will inevitability end up on a roller coaster due to my children pressuring me. I can picture myself passed out in the coaster car, with drool running down my face and my hair looking like Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol, much to the amusement of nearby bystanders.
So that story and GIF sums up what my life has felt like these past few weeks. Now pour up a coffee or tea, have a sweet you probably don’t need ( but that’s okay), and lets dive in!
Reading Old Journals
Since I have been off work with my injured arm, I have been doing a lot of self reflection. Being home all day long tends to make you think; which I’ll admit, can be a good or a bad thing. It all depends on what you want to focus on. I could focus on the fact that I am off work, and the issues surrounding my absence and the the effects that come from that, aka I am not a stay at home person.
Sure I enjoy being home, spending time with my family and doing the things that need to be done, however any suggestion that I would be alone and have time to relax would be an incorrect assumption. After all, I am home with the twinados who like the most of us, are absolutely sick and tired of not being able to socialize and live a normal life thanks to COVID restrictions.
Can I get an amen?
I haven’t published a post such January 25, due to the fact of time and motivation. Most days I try to find the time to write, which often doesn’t happen. Then when I do end up having the time, I don’t have the motivation because I am drained from everything else.
So currently I am writing in my bedroom – as the Twinados ‘play’ in their rooms – while enjoying a second cup of freshly made coffee.
Journals. Let’s talk about those for a minute and the benefits of keeping one. I was reading on the website, Trisent, that upwards to 1 billion people worldwide keep diaries regularly.
My journaling started when I was in my teens, when my mother encouraged me to write down what I learned from my Bible and anything that I received from the Holy Spirit. She taught me the importance of keeping a rolling log of the scriptures, wisdom, and things that I wanted to remember and reflect upon ‘down the road’. I found myself writing day after day, about the struggles I faced and writing down thoughts and important events.
***I pause for a moment to clean fresh coffee that I just spilled all down my shirt. Apparently drinking from a grey mug, with little light, is not a good combination. I now have no shirt. For some that may be appealing and to others appalling. But considering time is precious of late, I have no time to waste. I am not ashamed to admit my dad bod is not the same quality as Chris Hemsworth #drool***
Anyway back to the importance of journaling.
Do you know that journaling/recording information is Biblical? God told the prophet Habakkuk to write down the words He said,
“Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
Habakkuk 2:2-3 NLT
The Bible is full of similar scriptures about writing down information in order to be passed along. We see Jesus quote the prophet Isaiah’s writings. The disciples and the apostle Paul constantly reference the Old Testament scriptures. Think about this for a second.
Because the writer(s) took the time to record the information, they influenced and encouraged millions of people for thousands of years. All by the stroke of their hand on tablets, papyrus, paper, etc. They listened to God and acted in obedience to Him.
The other day I was feeling pretty frustrated and clouded with a few things I was dealing with. Later that same day I joined our online church prayer call and was advised by two friends to go back and reflect upon the blessings I received from the Lord. So the best place for that was in my journals and reading the entries I had written.
After about an hour if reading I walked out of my study feeling so encouraged. I came away with this common element: God was faithful. Yes, through the struggles and the hard times, and through the good and joyous times as well, He was and is faithful.
I encourage you my friend, to pick up a journal and start recording your own experiences. Then when you really need to reflect upon something, you can go back and read what you had gone through. Another reason why I journal is so that my children can read and hopefully learn from my past experiences.
Reflection
Do you know what I take from the Splash Mountain ride? The fact that I decided to leave my safety bar – the piece of equipment meant to hold me secure and keep me safe – and take a chance by huddling in the nose of the log.
Since I was five, my thought at the time was, ‘This ride is scary so I need to hide.’ This is what I take away from that logic.
Often we try and hide from what scares us and makes us uncomfortable.
But friends, we can not hide from the things that scare us. We can not hide from the things we don’t agree with. We need to meet them head on. We may shake, we may be afraid, but standing for what we believe in and tackling problems head on…that will bring change.
What did David say in Psalm 23?
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff comfort me.”
Psalms 23:4 TLV
https://bible.com/bible/314/psa.23.4.TLV
Notice that David was actively walking! He was in motion, he was moving forward. Many people these days would back up, but when we trust God, we can move up because He is leading.
Do you know what else? Little did I know, I could have been seriously injured on that roller coaster ride because I thought I was making ‘the right decision’ by ‘escaping’ from the problem…when in fact that could have been the worst decision I ever made.
(Well, maybe the worst decision was opening a can of beans that had no hole in the lid, that was expanding over an open fire for ten minutes.)
I hope you enjoyed todays post. Remember! Write things down, start recording a journal, you can benefit greatly and so could others!
Have a great day!
Christian
The Eason Clan 