Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy

It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me
Sounds like life to me plain old destiny
Yeah the only thing for certain is uncertainty
You gotta hold on tight just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability
Sounds like life
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
Sounds like life to me
Sounds like life

Those words are the chorus to Darryl Worley’s song “Sounds like Life to Me.” There’s a lot of truth in those words. If I’ve learned one thing in my 42 years on this earth, it’s this – life is a roller coaster and roller coasters tend to make me sick. J However, I have yet to find anywhere in the Bible that God says life will be a smooth ride like a carousel.

Really, when you think about it, which one is more fun? Sure, a carousel ride is predictable. The speed never varies. You stay on the same animal the whole time and that animal never leaves its spot. Sure there are some ups and downs but they are moderated and you know exactly when each one is coming. The music NEVER changes. It’s mundane, tame, and often monotonous. Now, how about that roller coaster? Completely different ride right there. Usually the ride starts out really slow while you’re climbing your first mountain but boy oh boy, when you reach that first peak – OFF YOU GO!!! That ride never slows down. You’re up, you’re down, zoom around a curve, maybe even a loop. Whew. There are screams, there is laughter. Each roller coaster is different. Roller coasters leave you breathless. I hate heights and roller coasters are very high – but I love breathless.

Breathless is what we prefer when you think about it long enough. Your first real kiss – leaves you breathless. Your first real love – leaves you breathless. That first married kiss – leaves you breathless. That first look into your newborn’s eyes – leaves you breathless. We love all of those things. There are other things that leave us that way. Our first broken heart – leaves us breathless. A crumbled marriage – leaves us breathless. The loss of a loved one – leaves us breathless. You know what? We survive it all and we move on to the next thing that leaves us breathless. Why, because life is not a carousel, it’s a roller coaster.

I feel like I have been on 37 roller coasters in the last week and a half. I’ve had to kick my daughter out of my mother’s home. That left me breathless. I received custody of my beautiful, beloved granddaughter. That left me breathless. I watched my mother go into surgery. I watched her come out. I watched her struggle through pain and hallucinations. I’ve waited for results of biopsies that have yet to come. Breathless, breathless, breathless. I took her to a doctor’s appointment and watched a doctor marvel at how far she’s come in a week. I’ve watched him look at a tough 71 year old woman who is widowed, lost two children, fought and beat lung cancer once, and who is now fighting it again, with fresh eyes and a different attitude from when we started. I watched him have a new sense of positivity because of her toughness. Breathless.

My God is in control of this crazy life I live. He is the Author of every breathless moment I experience. For every positive breathless moment I experience, I thank Him. For every negative breathless moment I experience, I know He is holding me and molding me. I have had a lot of positive breathless moments and I have had a lot of negative breathless moments but each experience on that roller coaster has made me the woman I am.

In my infinite impatience, I had a nurse I work with look at mom’s pathology reports since we have yet to see the oncologist (that’s next Tuesday). My nurse used to work in oncology and actually worked with the oncologist we will be seeing. J She feels that mom’s cancer is Stage IIb. If she is correct, mom’s cancer is still in the “early” stages and is treatable. BREATHLESS! If she’s wrong, we’ll walk the path God has laid out before us holding onto His hand. Each and every moment of this journey – good or bad – will prove to be breathless.

If you knew you were dying, if you knew your time was limited, what would you do? Would you go places you’ve never gone? Would you do things you’ve never done? Would you mend fences with people that have never been mended? Would you offer forgiveness and accept forgiveness? Well… guess what? We’re all dying!!! From the time of our birth, our earthly body begins to decay, begins to break down, begins to shut down. None of us will live forever. We all have an appointed day, hour, and minute that we will breathe our last breath. Shouldn’t you be doing all of those things now? Why wait? You may not have the privilege of knowing that your time is drawing to a close. Make memories. Offer forgiveness quickly. Say I’m sorry. Say I love you. Live BREATHLESS!