Roller Coaster Ride

**This post is part of Rachel Olsen's Devotional Carnival** Be sure to check out all the other posts about pleasing God. **

This past week has been full of emotions. It's felt much like riding a roller coaster for me. Some of you may enjoy that sort of ride, but I really don't. I much prefer the gentler, predictable carousel ride. However this week would include the thrills of birthday celebrations and the company of good friends, the twists of missed deadlines and lack of sleep, and the stomach churning drops of inconclusive test results and the funeral of one lost way too soon. Typically this ride would make me want to crawl in bed and not come out for a few days. God, though, had been preparing me.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7NIV

During the previous week, I had heard two different teachings on this verse. So I knew God was getting my attention for something. One teacher in particular talked about being stable minded. The focus was on facing life, whatever the circumstances, choosing to trust God and believe Him for what is best. Letting our response be to trust God, not the circumstances. When our flesh wants to be fretful, worried or anxious, to realize that we have a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. The ability to walk through these events differently is possible. Stable became my word of the week. When I would feel myself start to respond in a way that wouldn't please God, I would say it out loud-STABLE. I am choosing to trust God and be stable minded through this situation. Stable is defined as "not likely to change or move, steady, not excitable or given to irrational behavior." Maybe saying it out loud, o-k yelling it at times, is a little irrational, but you get the point! Sometimes we need to shake ourselves and be reminded that we do indeed have a spirit of power, love and self-discipline with us.

What about you? How do you handle those days or weeks with unexpected twists and turns?