This is a time-lapsed picture of the Zipper at a carnival, taken from Life Weekend Magazine (which comes in our Saturday St. Louis paper).
The Zipper is my favorite carnival ride. I don't know why. I didn't even used to like going upside down. My first upside-down experience was at "Castles and Coasters" in Phoenix, Arizona, on "Desert Storm", the roller coaster (pic below). My brother and mom made me do it - and I realized that even though it was scary - - - - it was really fun.
Years later (maybe 6+), when I was in my mid-20's some friends and I were at the Puyallup Fair in Washington State (its really the "Western Washington State Fair" but everyone calls it "The Puyallup". We were going on various rides (little coasters, big ones, the tilt-a-whirl... always a mistake for me) and then someone said, "Let's go on the Zipper." My reply: "Nuh uh!" But they prevailed upon me to do it and despite my SUPER fear of dying in a carnival ride, I did it. I think I screamed and laughed with fear and delight the whole time. My partner was Melissa VanLiew (now Haigh) and it was SO AMAZING. She made it fun by forcing me to spin around even before the ride started spinning.
Here's a picture of the Zipper (in case you don't know what I mean) when its still: 
The Zipper has three planes of movement: Each cage (which holds two people) can spin around on its own; and then the series of cages moves around the center, like a ferris wheel - but the center is oblong, shaped like a hot dog; and then the center spins in a circle, too, while everything else is moving..... yes. Its crazy!
A few years later some friends and I met up with a friend at the Spring Puyallup Fair. We got in line for the Zipper pretty quickly and (here's the best part) decided to have a contest which will forever be known as the "Zipper-Flipper-Thon". There were 6 of us, four girls and two boys, we paired off into twos: the Lin sisters, me and Erin and the boys. The goal was to see how many times you could get your cage to spin throughout the ride. Its not easy, you have to work to keep it spinning or else the momentum of the ride will cause you to just rock back and forth. Larina and Tina (Lin) were the lightest cage, but they gave it a good show - maybe getting 10, Erin and I beat them and got about 15, I think - the boys BLEW US AWAY - I think they spun like 25 times. They had a weight advantage, but I also think they just really wanted to win. The losing teams had to buy the winning team a "Fair Concession" of some sort: funnel cake, pronto pup, etc.
What I haven't mentioned yet is that in my head I know I love the Zipper. I know I won't die on it. I know I'm going to have a crazy, good time. But there is a moment when I get in the cage and they shut the door and as we start to rock (to get ready for our spin)... when the cage door clinks back and forth. There's a little play in the door, it doesn't shut firmly and then never move until the end, NO, it moves slightly..... and immediately my mind thinks: "what if the door opens and I fall to my death?" and I contemplate asking the man to let me out, or screaming like a crazed person and thrashing around until someone realizes that I shouldn't be allowed to make my own decisions and pulls me out. At that point, I usually pray quickly and then say, "If I perish I perish" and start rocking and shut off all thinking. Then the ride starts and I start laughing and screaming and having the time of my life.
My life right now is a little like the Zipper.
I have an incomplete list of about 15 big things that need to be done at work in the next 5 days. And I'm also trying to get ready for that moving sale on Saturday and its Thursday already and its just all in big piles in my room. I'm thinking about moving and I'm juggling balls and its crazy. And the devil whispers in my ear, "what is that clinking noise? is that the door? is it going to fall open?" For brief moments I consider abandoning it all. Leaving in the middle of the night with just my i-pod nano, car cooler (full of regular coke and beef jerky) and driving to wherever my car will take be. And probably stopping wherever it breaks down.
I know that graduate school, Waco, etc is the right path for me right now. I know that in a few weeks I will be screaming and laughing with glee - but right now I am simply trying to stare at Jesus' face and ignore the wind and waves (if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor: carnival and bible story). Sometimes I catch myself looking to the left and right and the wind seems to be blowing hard and if I don't quickly stop and focus on Jesus then my mind goes to all the places that the devil wants - hopelessness, fear and unbelief.
Last weekend I was reading the "Daily Light" - my stalwart companion since January and hopefully for many more years. The morning reading was all about God's faithfulness to me and I was comforted by God's ever present help in times of trouble and I've been thinking back to that all week. Here's the reading of the day (for those who don't know, the "Daily Light" is a collection of morning and evening meditations on scripture, each reading is a compilation of various scriptures):
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to
pass.--In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.--Thine
ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when
ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.--Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he
remembereth that we are dust.--Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.--Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I will end this rambling to say that if you are in the habit of praying for me, you can pray along with me that unbelief and fear would not gain entry into my mind or heart and that I would rest on the Father's unceasing care for me and my needs. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Amen.
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