Thrills

I must confess that I have a weakness (A weakness? You ask. Okay…maybe more than one).  I like to be thrilled. I like that feeling of butterflies in the stomach and tingly skin.  I like looking forward to something exciting and feel my heart beat a little faster in response.  I like that “living on the edge” feeling.

Wow, Leah, you’re saying to yourself…this might be better left unsaid.  But, before you get the wrong impression, let me tell you some of the odd things that give me that thrill.


·         The smell of old books

·         The sight of a blinking cursor on a blank page of Word

·         The glimpse of the Matterhorn off the freeway when I’m heading to Disneyland

·         That moment when the plane gears up fully and is taking off down the runway

·         The smell of Nordstrom when you first walk in the doors

·         The sound of a 350 engine as it revs up

Why do these things give me a thrill? If you take them by themselves they certainly aren’t very thrilling: stinky old books; boring white screen; a glimpse of some fake mountain barely seen through the smog, freeway interchanges, buildings and electrical wires. 

It’s what they represent that is thrilling: whole new worlds and completely different lives that I can lose myself in; memories of childhood thrills (Didneelan!); memories of teenage thrills (my high school crush is synonymous with a souped-up big block engine); the possibility of finding that perfect outfit to make me feel attractive again.

How about you? What gives you a thrill?

Do these moments of excitement overshadow the relationship that should be your ultimate thrill?  I’m sad to say they do for me more often than I even want to keep track of.

As Eugene Peterson puts it so well in “The Message:”

                ¹⁷ You're addicted to thrills? What an empty life! 
   The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. – Proverbs 21:17

That’s not what I want! I want this:            

   How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.

 ^2-3 Instead you thrill to God's Word,
      you chew on Scripture day and night.
   You're a tree replanted in Eden,
      bearing fresh fruit every month,
   Never dropping a leaf,
      always in blossom. – Psalm 1:1-3 (MSG)   

            

I want to feel this way:

                ¹ It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
      to sing praises to the Most High.
 ² It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
      your faithfulness in the evening,
 ³ accompanied by the ten-stringed harp
      and the melody of the lyre.

 ⁴ You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
      I sing for joy because of what you have done. – Psalm92:1-4 (NLT)

Enjoying the bounty that is provided for me and feeling the tingles of knowing that I’m alive isn’t bad. It’s good! It’s wonderful!  I just need to always remember who has provided it and to keep Him my priority. 

The thrills of this world are only temporary. The thrill of everlasting life with our Lord and Savior is forever!

Dear Lord – thank you for creating in me a heart that finds joy and excitement in this life that you’ve provided for me. Thank you for sending me down memory lane today. It helped me remember some good times that you have blessed me with.  But, you know that I have a tendency to cling to the remembered thrills…and potential thrills as well.  I lose eternal focus and become obsessed with earthly pleasures. I pray that you will take my hand and draw me to you during those times. Help me remember that you are the source of all that is good and wonderful in my life. The greatest thrill I have ever experienced is knowing you: Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit! Thank you for blessing me with miracles, freedom, and the knowledge of your saving grace and power! I love you blindly and completely. Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah