TEST TRACK

                                                               

Have you noticed that many things we know and do are changing? There is re-imagined, redesigned, revamped, reopened, not to mention... redefined, if you follow my drift.

Orlando is a wonderful haven for theme parks, and this week Epcot inaugurated their new “Test Track” ride. I expect I’ll be visiting it soon to see how it has been re-imagined. I hear it’s an even more exhilarating ride, and has already received fantastic reviews as you are able to incorporate your own design into the vehicle.

My memory takes me back a while ago when I rode “Test Track” with my oldest granddaughter.  It was a ride that Disney imagineers created after visiting the GM auto testing laboratory. It allowed us to experience, in short form, the tests that an automobile must go through to perform on the highway. The ride went something like this: ascending steep terrain, downhill control, bumpy roads, 50 degree banked curves, hair-pin turns that test suspension and brakes at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. We were also subjected to extreme cold and heat tests, a misting of water to test corrosion and finally a fitfully high speed that ultimately stopped you in the nick of time before hitting a crash barrier. It was exhilarating and fun, my only fear being in the final high speed chase to the finale…and I wasn't certain what that was…until it came to a stop!

This morning I woke up with the image that life is much like the test track we experienced. Life takes us in many directions and situations, and it is our job to figure out our lives based on what we are in the midst of going through…sometimes  we like the results, and other times not. Life can be fun, fearful, and challenging, but it is our job to find a way to survive the bumps, bruises and tests of life, all along the way seeing the grand purpose of why we were created. Perhaps if we saw our lives more as a ride than a struggle, we would be able to laugh through the tough periods, and ease the burdens of not only ourselves, but also of others.

As the vehicle reached excessively high speeds, my granddaughter laughed with excitement, as I screamed with fear. The end result was the same…the end of the ride!

Next time I ride “Test Track”, I will remember her laughter and sit back and enjoy the ride. Some things take time. I thank her for this gift!

See you next time...God willing! God bless!