When Life Takes a Sharp Turn

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33 NKJV

I used to love riding roller coasters at theme parks. 

I didn’t care if the wooden Zippin Pippin at the Memphis Fairgrounds was ancient and rickety. I was always ready to fly on it during my childhood visits.* In adulthood, I’ve accompanied my kids on the rides at Dollywood and relished the high-speed flights around the treetops.

But there is one coaster I despise.

I don’t recall the first time I got on it, maybe at a state fair somewhere. Apparently it’s a popular version because I made the mistake of getting on another one several years later at a different amusement park.

This roller coaster has the innocuous name “Mouse” somewhere in its title, but it doesn’t offer a meek little excursion. I think demons designed it.

Its signature feature is a series of abrupt 90-degree and 180-degree turns that sling your innards sideways in death-defying lurches. The tiny cart already extends out over the track sides, adding to the feeling you’re going to catapult off the rails. Its ride lasts just over a minute and doesn’t build up much speed, but the horrific turns keep your hands white-knuckled as you hold on for dear life. No happy hollering here. What you hear around you are screams of sheer terror.

Life sometimes comes at you the same way, in sharp turns.

Just when you’ve settled into a comfortable pattern…like the slow, ratcheting climb on a roller coaster launch track…whoosh! Everything turns topsy-turvy in a matter of seconds.

It could be negative news. The doctor tells you the biopsy showed cancer. Your spouse hands you divorce papers. Your boss fires you. Your car repair estimate is costly.

God brings us sudden, unpleasant turns at times when they’re least expected. When He sends us on a different course, we could ask, “What were You thinking, God?” In the middle of pain or despair, it’s hard to see how the affliction you’re undergoing could possibly be good. But these shifts in our life journeys are never unforeseen by Him.

God’s servant Job found himself, in only a matter of moments, smitten by Satan…with the loss of his property, livelihood, servants, all his children, and finally his health and strength. Job reeled from the multiple sharp turns on the downhill course that destroyed almost everything he had.

We can identify with Job in heartache and suffering almost too deep for words. While God eventually sets Job straight, restoring what was lost, the process leads Job to only one conclusion—that the ordinances of God are beyond his comprehension, that His ways are higher than Job’s. By the end of his discourse with God, Job comes before his Lord in humility and trust, learning that His mercy is still covering him.

I think of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who find themselves in Job’s situation, when militant bands of raiders destroy homes and churches, assaulting and slaying beloved family members. How do these Christ-followers continue to forge ahead in faith? 

Stories abound, however, of the perseverance and forgiveness of these believers. Their humility and dedication speak of their love for Jesus Christ. Their peace resides in their trust in God’s provision. Oh, that I were so generous if I found myself in such circumstances!**

Friend, if you’re going through a sharp-turn disaster—when the road becomes a nightmare of curves and dips—remember that our Lord has planned this route in advance. And, you can be assured you are not alone during this trial. Jesus has promised He will never leave you, and He has sent His Holy Spirit as His gift of love to guide you. He will hold you firmly in His grasp, no matter the outcome.

I’ll never ride that mousy coaster again if I can help it. But other sharp turns are inevitable for us. May you and I both seek to respond with trust in God’s purposes, with perseverance in faith, and with peace in His mercy. May He settle us firmly on the solid ground of His love and the promise of heaven when our ride is over.

O Lord, I come before You in humility, confessing the insufficiency of my trust. Your ways are beyond anything I could ever understand. I fear the turns in the road ahead—please hold me safe in Your hands and give me Your wisdom as I navigate the hurdles ahead. Increase my faith in Your purposes. Let me rest in Your generous peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

*Note: The Zippin Pippin was built in 1913…my dad rode on it in his childhood, and Elvis liked it, too. The Pippin is now reconstructed at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Another creepy experience at the Memphis Fairgrounds was the Old Mill, an indoor boat ride in the dark. I was more skittish about the rumor of snakes in the water than the ride itself!

**If you wish to learn more about helping our Christian brethren, look up The Voice of the Martyrs (https://www.persecution.com) and also Samaritan’s Purse (https://samaritanspurse.org), organizations that help meet the needs of the persecuted faithful.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2026 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #rollercoaster #catandmouse #amusementpark #fairgrounds #dollywood #zippinpippin #baybeach