"Hold on to all loose articles and enjoy your ride..." Those were the last words my family and I heard as our roller coaster, appropriately named "Goliath", exited the loading station and began to creep up the bohemoth hill that we were about to descend. Our family had decided to go to Six Flags for the day and made it our goal to climb aboard every scary, fast, and white knuckle ride we could find. "Goliath" fit those adjectives and then some. As we plummeted 170 feet down the hill at 70 mph, for some reason I happened to look over at my teenage son. Teenagers sometimes try to hide their inner emotions. However, the enormous smile on my adrenaline filled son's filled face told me that he was overflowing with happiness and that we had made a memory at this park on this day that was truly priceless.
As we pulled back into the loading station and I checked to see if "Goliath" had blown my few remaining hairs off my head, I had nothing but gratitude in my heart and mind. Several years ago, as I sat in a hospital room for 7 days receiving chemotherapy, being in an amusement park and exposing my feeble immune system to so many people was only a distant thought. With basically no immune system, I had to limit my exposure to anyone and anyplace for several days. I remember thinking to myself that the old saying, "don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone," was definitely appropriate for me in that moment.
As I exited the roller coaster, I was so happy that I was able to experience this day with my family. I did not want to take this moment for granted. Because of my past health problems, I was able to appreciate that moment. But, you don't have to be a cancer survivor to appreciate the blessings in your life. All you really need to do is slow down and realize how quickly our lives pass. James 4:14 (NIV) illustrates this point perfectly, it says: "14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. " We are not promised tomorrow in this life. So, while we are here, take a moment to appreciate the things that you take for granted in YOUR life.
What if you lost a family member, your health, or even your job? How would your life be different without these blessings? Take a moment to realize what you have and appreciate your blessings because you truly don't know what you have 'til it's gone!
