HOLD ON, The best comes AFTER

Look at those happy faces!  They had been talking about going on this ride all day and this was the moment.  They had just made it to the front of the line, found their seats and got all strapped in.  When I took this picture, they were waiting with nearly unbearable anticipation to feel the first movement of the ride pulling them to the top of the tower.  They were GIDDY! 

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This picture was taken about 90 seconds later, on the way down.  What happened to the smiles??  They look miserable, terrified, scared out of their minds.  THIS is what they had been so excited about???   Hard to believe from their expressions now.

Okay, here comes the object lesson: How many times do we get excited about something that is coming in life only to end up miserable, terrified and filled with anxiety once we really get into it?  
That new job? 
Marriage? 
That fixer-upper first house? 

As Jason and I approach our 14th wedding anniversary, I can remember more than one occasion where fear crept in during our years together.  "Can we really make this work?"  "Will he ever change?"  "Will I ever change?"  "How are we going to get through THIS?"  

So many times when things get scary, we humans want to bail.  We want to say, "Stop the ride!  I want off!"  We wonder why anyone would  continue given the conditions we are experiencing.  


Well, this is why:

They made it!  They did it!  They survived!  They can say, "I rode on the X Scream!" 

The most amazing, thrilling, fulfilling moments in life, in work, in projects, in our faith come after the scariest moments.  They come after the hardest moments.  They come after the most trying moments.  It is worth holding on.  It is worth trusting.  It is worth overcoming your emotions and worst fears to experience what comes AFTER.

Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." NIV