Realizing a Dream

I love rollercoasters, and I love Dollywood, a local theme park that we often purchase season passes for.

2 years ago, they built a brand new rollercoaster called "The Wild Eagle." It goes straight up for 210 feet, drops you down and goes upside down 4 times at over 60 mph, a fun, fast ride, only 2:22 long.

They have a test seat outside the entrance of the ride that you can sit in to see how you're going to be strapped in, and they also have a notice that "people of larger size may not be able to be accommodated." 

I sat in the seat 2 years ago and realized I was too big for the ride.  The seatbelt would not buckle.

And I was so disappointed.

I watched everyone else going on it and coming off with smiles and cheers and tales of excitement and wonder!

And I sat on the bench, holding the bags and backpacks.

But yesterday...

Yesterday I walked to that seat and thought maybe I was still too big.

I sat in it and my older son tried to get the buckle to work, but it didn't quite make it.  And so I walked away, disappointed.

And then my younger son said, "Mom, try again.  I don't think you had the handles pulled over you the right way."

So, I sat down again and they pushed it just a little more and IT WORKED!!!

You better believe I was nervous to climb those stairs, thinking, "What if the workers aren't willing to push a little harder?  And I stand in this long line, and get up there and climb in and all those people are looking at me and I don't fit and have to get off the ride and walk away in defeat?"

So many doubts, almost with every step I was climbing!

But Clayton and I went on, and I kept asking the Lord for His help to make this happen.

And we got on the back row and I got the courage to tell the young man working the ride, "I've been working and waiting for 2 years to ride this!  And I fit in the test seat outside the gate, but you're gonna have to push a little hard to make it fit!"

His response was, "Oh, I think you've got this, no problem."

Well, it was a little bit of a challenge.  If I hadn't been wearing a coat, I probably wouldn't have had quite as much trouble, but he was so kind to work with me and get me into the seat.  When that thing clicked and buckled, I was going NO WHERE!  Believe me, if I needed to scratch something on the backside of my body there was no way it was going to happen!! :)))

And so, I rode that ride, in the dark, in the cold, and hollered my head off!!!  It was as if I was flying in absolute freedom!

When we arrived back into the gate, the young man asked me, "How was it?  Was it worth it?!" 

I gave him a HUGE thumbs up and a grin and said, "Absolutely!"

I wanted to laugh, cry, scream...so many emotions, but yes, it was worth it!!