Ferris Wheel Fiasco

Okay, so what is your worse fear when it comes to riding a Ferris Wheel? You may give a couple of answers, but my guess would be that getting stuck at the top of the ride would be right up there at the top. Well...my worse fears came true. Last night Kaleb and I rode this monster Ferris Wheel in Orange Beach. It is so big that you sit in a covered cart. As we get to the top of it the Ferris Wheel stops and we don't move for nearly 45 minutes. At first I just assumed they were loading some people in, perhaps somebody got sick, I didn't know. Finally, Katrina yells up from the bottom that the Ferris Wheel is broke. I'm thinking to myself, "broke, hmmm, that could mean a number of things. A bolt fell out, a cart broke, and the motor stop, the hydraulics quit working...anything." In that moment, I had a couple of things going on in my mind that I had to deal with. All said and done we were on the ride for an hour and forty-five minutes. We were the last ones unloaded off the ride. A couple things of note:

First, I'm claustrophobic and that cart was tiny, and I was stuck in it. I couldn't let my fears get in the way because I had to keep my son from freaking out (who did incredible and didn't get scared). We also had to assure these little girls in a cart beside us that everything was going to be okay. 

The second thing, and I don't want to over-dramatize the event, but it forced me to ask the question: if this were it, I'm I ready to go? The answer is yes and no. Yes, I'm ready to die if it comes to it, because I have assurance of my eternity because of Christ. I've lived a full life and a very blessed life. It wouldn't be my choice of how I would want to go, but I'm ready. The answer was also no. I still feel very passionate about living out the vision God has given me for my life. I still feel there is work to be done. I have a family that needs me and a little girl coming who needs a dad. I'm not ready to go yet because of those things. 

Here's what I left that experience thinking about: some things are more important than my fears (staying calm for my son and assuring the girls beside us that we were okay) and we don't have control of any situation, it could all change in a moment -- live like it is your last. Go after your dreams, live out your passions, and love those around you.