The Not So Merry, Go-Round

Whew, I made it through the summer with minimal time spent at the Midway with the grandkids. I wasn’t meant for amusement park rides. It’s an inner ear thing or just a strong desire to be in control of my bodily functions but I struggle with anything that moves in a circle at high speeds. Just the thought of a Tilt-O-Whirl right now has me reaching for the Dramamine.

But for the sake of an analogy, I want to talk about the merry-go-round. A merry-go-round is a perfect analogy for our lives. Some of us are adventurous and ride on the horses and thrive on the ups and downs while others play it safe within the gondolas. Regardless of where we are situated, the fact is often life feels like we are just going around and around. Caught up in survival rather than the abundant life God wants for us.

In the olden days every merry-go-round had a brass ring suspended over one of the horses or in more modern times, a metal arm that swung out next to the carousel where multiple rings were dispensed as riders passed by and grabbed them. Most of them were made of iron but occasionally there would be a brass one. If you grabbed the brass ring you received a prize. Usually a free ride. (Which for me would be torture.)

The brass ring is there to offer riders a chance at a prize. And it is a chance.

As with any chance in life you have to take a bit of a risk in that you have to reach out and grab it. There’s the possibility you might fail or fall, how humiliating! But how exciting to achieve the prize. Makes it worth the risk.

I like to think that on the merry-go-round of life God is our brass ring. As we go around and around, God is there at every turn waiting for us to reach out. He gives us constant recurring chances to grab him, to grab on to his promises of love, faithfulness, forgiveness, and care to name just a few. And the chance to win the ultimate prize of an abundant life now and eternal life to come.

We have to snap out of our complacency and the trance we find ourselves in as we allow the repetitive din of the world’s pipe organ music that prevents us from hearing the divine invitation to take that chance.

We have to open our eyes to the chances that present themselves daily to seek and to find God.

The God I know is a God of chances, multiple chances. Is God asking you to take a chance on him? Are you ready to reach out this time around? Next time around?

Next time? Next time? Next time?

?oh…Gotta go

Joan