Frost Heaves=Free Roller Coaster

In my 10 years of being a licensed driver, I can only remember two times when I was severely car sick while being the driver responsible for it.  I often get car sick riding in the back of vehicles and sometimes even as a passenger if the driver is quite….ahem….adventurous.  But you would think, with me behind the wheel and wielding all of the control, that I would not get car sick.

Well, I was wrong.  The first time was when I was driving through Bear Mountain in New York on the hilly, twisty roads.  I had probably already been on the road for 9 or 10 hours and just wanted to get home.  I didn’t really eat much of sustenance and I’m sure I was dehydrated, so thus, I felt miserable. 

The most recent case though, was today.  It happened as I was driving through Waterford and Sweden, Maine on Sweden Rd. (Maine state routes 35/37/93).  Anybody ever travel that stretch?  I’ve done it once just after a snow storm in December and vowed I wouldn’t do it again, but alas, I faithfully followed my GPS today and ended back on that stretch of road.  Did I mention, it’s been a hard winter for New England?  “Frost heaves” and “Bump” signs littered the side of the road but on Sweden Rd. specifically, I think they should have tossed out the signs and just said, “Please buckle up, keep your hands and feet inside of the vehicle…entering roller coaster ahead.”  If that road wasn’t hilly and twisty enough in the dead of summer, the frost heaves made it treacherous.  I can’t even count on my hand the number of times I had those whole life-flashes-before-your-eyes type of moments as I hit a huge bump at 40 or 45 miles per hour.  By the time I got to Fryeburg, I was not feeling super amazing but I did make it back to my apartment safely, so all is well.

It wasn’t all bad though.  The Sweden Rd. drive, as bumpy as it was, was absolutely gorgeous.  From some of the clearings, you could see a long range that stretched across the horizon that was Mount Washington along with its neighbors.  It was breathtaking.  I have friends who hike and run up hills and mountains like I was on to get views like I had, so I didn’t take it for granted.  For a girl coming from flat as a pancake south Texas, I never get tired of the beautiful scenery that abounds in New England. 

I still had three hours to drive though and as my tummy churned, my brain was processing as well.  If you know me at all, you’d know I’m not a fan of roller coasters.  Sweden Rd. was a non-profit roller coaster.  Life is also quite the roller coaster and I hate that I often find myself victim to riding the waves of life’s roller coasters.  But this got me to thinking.  The place I started on today’s roller coaster was a place I was glad to be….a safe haven….a lovely retreat….but I couldn’t stay there forever.  I had to come back to New Hampshire to continue what God has started and called me too.  There are always bumps along the way of life……low parts where you stare straight up the road of life and wonder if you’ll ever make it out of that pit…….high points where you pause and take in the sweet view…..but the journey is not through.  Onward I go, through the mountain tops and valleys.  The place I left was sweet, the journey here was hard, but to be back here is worth it. 

I can only imagine the mountains and valley’s to come in the coming months……for me, personally, as I do my best to pour into and to teach my 42 students in the coming months….for my students, as 6 of them prepare for graduation and all of them attempt to finish the year strong…..for the school, as we remain united in prayer and purpose to do Mr. B, our school director who is currently in the ICU, proud.  For all of us, as we face the unknown but all the way, knowing, that the journey will be worth it….roller coaster and all. 

The journey is hard, but when God’s in it, it’s worth it…every single step of it.  Where is life’s journey taking you, these days?

Until next time,

Joy Lynn