Well, if you're like me (which could be a ride all by itself), the first thing I think of is the gut-wrenching anticipation that I get as I strap myself into the seat of a roller coaster that I've never ridden before and begin the roll-out or ascent to the first drop. I'm especially anxious if the ride happens to be named something like "The Terrifying Black Dragon of Doom and Fire," or if it advertises itself to be "the fastest, most terrifying ride in the known universe." I mean, what if I suddenly enter the inverted spiral that tortures my body with a force of -9 G's and my insides decide that they've had enough of this and they're going to implode? These are the kinds of things that go through my mind as I anticipate squandering my healthy young adulthood on an outrageously priced thrill ride.The second thing I remember about my roller coaster experiences is the following thought:
WWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOHOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Strange as it may sound, that thought is probably my favorite part of the entire experience. You see, I live 
for the thrill of the moment, for the unbidden cry of intense emotion that rushes past my lips, for the extraordinary sensation of my heart leaping into my throat in an attempt to escape the rush of adrenaline that sweeps through the core of my very being. I live from one high to the next, anxiously awaiting the next sudden drop, the next inverted corkscrew, the next unanticipated acceleration.
for the thrill of the moment, for the unbidden cry of intense emotion that rushes past my lips, for the extraordinary sensation of my heart leaping into my throat in an attempt to escape the rush of adrenaline that sweeps through the core of my very being. I live from one high to the next, anxiously awaiting the next sudden drop, the next inverted corkscrew, the next unanticipated acceleration.That sounds like a fantastic way to live, doesn't it? It guarantees a surfeit of exciting moments, for as we seek this intensity, so we shall find it. We shall be granted the desires of our hearts, for life is far from monotonous and adventure is always imminent.
Unfortunately, we never pause to remember the negatives inherent in this way of thinking. All too often, we transfer our desire for endless thrills to our spiritual lives. We expect the gratification of an unceasing "mountain-top" experience with God, and when it does not occur, we become bored. We give up on our daily walks with God because they are simply walks. We lose sight of the realization that our spiritual lives were not designed for relentless, exhilarating adventure but were instead fitted for the steadiness and continuity of a walk -- a walk with ups and downs and twists and turns, but a walk nonetheless.
One of the most fitting verses in the Bible says, "They that wait upon the Lord. . . ." Am I willing to wait on God, or do I insist on desiring only the thrills that life brings me? May God save us from bowing before this roller coaster idol - the idol of thrills.
