How to Ride the Emotional Roller Coaster

Psalm 34: 17-19.  “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

It all depends how much you want to endure. Can you handle being in the front? Maybe, you enjoy being in the back. Sometimes, the middle is good, depending on where you are able to get on. It would be nice if life had those choices. 

What if there are noises and the wind may take your breath away; can you handle it? There are so many twists, and turns with surprised curveball twists. Sometimes you can become light headed depending where you are seated. Can you handle being upside down? What about going through those hoops? Just thinking about it can seem nauseating. Do you have a clue as to where you are by reading those questions and statements?

When you read this have you determined, what ride are you on or where you are? Maybe, you are at your local fair or amusement park. The ride you encounter is the roller coaster. I have ridden numerous roller coasters and as a child I remember riding my first one with my mentor (grandfather) at the Nashville Grand Ole Opry Park. 

When the Texas Giant opened in 1990, I was a youth minister and took my youth group to Six Flags in Texas. The Texas Giant was one of the largest roller coasters with a 147 foot drop at a 79 degree angle. Wow! Fortunately, the line was not long and we were there on the second day the giant officially opened. We were the second group to get on. The ride was a thrill, but when we got off we heard the following announcement,” We are sorry the Texas Giant is closed due to a mechanical malfunction.”

Wow! What if questions set in and it wasn’t comforting hearing the news and the “could have” thoughts set into a rolling motion. There were many thoughts and questions about other rides and if I wanted to ride the Giant again. 

Life is like a roller coaster. We seem to think things will be safe and we enjoy the moment and the thrills of our life and not have any thoughts or concerns about the here and now. Only the endorphins that race through the body to give us that “feel” good moment.  Then it seems the brakes are put on and everything comes to a halt. Crickets seem to chirp and you wonder where everything went.

Hearing the bad news, like you have cancer or your loved one has died, can be like the Texas Giant where things have to shut down for maintenance. Do you deny the news? Do you panic? Do you break down and cry? What do you do in this situation?

Living in the “University of Hard Knocks”, I feel I have several diplomas in this area. Having a tremendous amount of stress can often make you feel like giving up. I’ve been there and know how difficult it can be with roller coaster moments of feelings. Now multiple problems all at once, can be very overwhelming experience and it is more than just your average roller coaster moment of emotions. 

How do you ride the roller coaster? 

First, captivate those thoughts and make them obedient (2 Cor 10:5). We all have a way of quietly or verbally talking to ourselves. This is called Self-talk and it can be a valuable tool to deal with stress and emotional moments if used correctly. It can be positive (“it will work itself out”) or it can be negative (“it will never get better”).

Second, mediate and relax to help relieve the stress in order to calm your mind and body (Ps 119:78, 1 PT 5:6, 7). It doesn’t help when your mind dwells on the actual events taking place. I truly understand it is easier said than done. Just like running the Boston Marathon, one has to train their body to run. It cannot be done overnight, if you are out of shape or practice. Meditate and cast your anxieties on Him and only He can provide the calm in the midst of the storm. It isn’t the peace that is absent, it is the security in knowing He will take care of it, even though it seems the ship is sinking. 

Third, find a close friend whom you know can be there to support you in your time in need. Having someone to talk to can help release the tension and provide good release and feedback. Your mind is like a Styrofoam cup and the troubles are like ice, if you do not talk about it, eventually you will break (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9). 

Finally, set healthy boundaries of what you will allow or will not allow. You teach others how to treat you. Learn your limitations of what you can and cannot do. Most of all swallow your pride and ask for help. Sometimes our problems are bigger than us and we need to be humble to ask for help. 

When you ride the roller coaster of life, learn to yell, throw the arms in the air and act like you don’t care. The ride will eventually be over and soon enough the more you ride the more you will learn to cope with any problem. It is trusting Him and building that faith. Faith is Forging Attitude In Trusting Him. We may think it will take an eternity, but things do eventually work out. Not like we may think it will, but we have to trust in Him. It is the god of this World that inflicts pain. It is the God of the heavens who wants to comfort and bless because he loves you. You are worth it. Have fun on the roller coaster, sit back and enjoy the ride. We are all in it together. 

By Faith,