Thanks Luke and Tom

When I was a youth director in Georgia, we attended a youth conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  Part of the event was a day at the theme park, Kentucky Kingdom.

I spent the day with two of our great guys, Luke and Tom.  I still count them as dear friends and love them both very much.  Although, I hold a bit of bitterness toward them for what I am about to tell you.

One of the attractions was a cable swing.  Two or three people would be strapped together in a harness and then drawn a few hundred feet above ground.  They would then pull the release and swing through the air, back and forth, until they came to a stop.

Tom and Luke asked me if I would go on this ride.  I noticed that it was an extra cost of $30 and used that as my excuse for not wanting to do it.  It backfired because they offered to pony up the cash.  I was doomed.

So they have us get in position with this thick trampoline type material wrapping around us like a human burrito.  The attendant put me on the bottom with Luke and Tom on top of me, but side by side each other.  We were like an upside down pyramid.  I’m still not sure why I was put on the bottom.  The attendant said something about being the heaviest, but I think he meant strongest.

Right before we began our ascent, he told us that a loudspeaker would be at the top and a countdown would begin.  When we heard “go” the release was to be pulled.  He then looked at me and said, “You have to pull the release.”

Oh, man.  This was not my day.  I’m going higher in the air than I ever wanted to go, supported only by a single cable, with two monsters on my back.  On top of it all, I have to be the one to pull the cord.

From the peak point, I saw the loudspeaker and the attendant confirmed that we could hear him.  He then began to count down.

When he said, “go”, I just yanked the release cord.  No hesitation, no waiting, just a quick and sure yank.  It was my only option.

Whenever something comes up in my life that I do not want to do, I think about this story.

Nothing good ever comes from waiting to something that you know you need to do.

The best thing and only thing is to just pull the cord.