Another day another giant slide

In July we had our usual Go M.A.D. (Go Make A Difference) primary school holiday programs. This time our theme was Harry Potter and one day we travelled to the Zig Zag Railway and boarded the Hogwarts Express at Platform nine and three quarters for a day of wild - and cold - adventures.

Another day we visited the magic and mystery of Luna Park and Coney Island. Now, at Coney Isalnd there is a giant slide. This slide is not only very high; but the first part of this monster is very steep. Indeed it is so steep that when you get up there (so I was told!) and look down, the first five metres looks like a sheer drop! No gentle beginnings, it just drops.

Being of a more mature age, with my 60th birthday just days away; one would would not be silly enough to contemplate the thought of attempting such a slide. Indeed I wasn't doing so. I was more than happy to be an interested spectator. But you know, you look at it and you think, 'I could do that, I really wouldn't mind having a go at that.' Then the next thing you know someone challenges you and you are climbing the stairs, upward and ever upward.

So there you are at the top of this thing, looking down in fear and trepidation, with a bunch of kids behind you waiting their turn and wondering what this old so and so is doing taking up space on the planet, let alone this slide. You're not going to back out with that audience (and your original challenger) egging you on. So you push off, hang on and hope that nothing too embarassing (like swearing or cracking your stupid skull!) happens on the way down.

You know, sometimes I need a reminder of what I signed up for five or so years ago. There were other options at the time; but whether I liked the idea or not, I was called to this task of church planting. At Coney Island there were other, gentler slides, but no, I had to tackle the giant one.

Nowadays as the size of the task doesn't diminish but the challenges regularly do, it is tempting to consider the gentler slide. Yet invariably I find myself back up on top of the giant one, looking over the edge, taking a deep breath and I'm ready to push off again.