Reach for the sky! The next time you’re at an amusement park and at least an hour past your last gooey snack, tackle one of the biggest attractions: the killer coaster. That’ll coax gleeful screams from any rider. You and your kids will have a roaring good time as well. Explore local theme parks to find some challenging rides to add to your to-do list. There are probably at least a few close to where you live.

Waiting for your turn can seem to take forever. Ignore the grumbling. Try to convince the kids that the delay is part of the fun. Much as you’d like to, you can’t run to the front of the line and hop on the next car. Roller coasters don’t work that way. Neither does life. Talk together about patience: what it is, what it isn’t, and why no one likes discussing it. Give examples of times when you couldn’t have what you wanted right away. Tell how in retrospect you were glad God said no up front.

Once your turn arrives, hop aboard. Sit side by side so you can give or get comfort as needed. Feel the tingle of the slow climb—another chance for the excitement to build. You look at them; they look at you. Chills creep down your spine, then you feel the jolting pull, the stomach-clutching plunge, and fling your hands up. Laugh, scream, or holler, or do all three at once.

Trust the ride to stay on its track and enjoy the out-of-control sensation of being flung back and forth and whipped up and down. Let go together. Life imitates the roller coaster. No matter what highs and lows await, God sits right by your side.