Going 101: Not Operating as Designed

 

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Just before the last drop on Splash Mountain. The only time I was on an attraction that went 101 and had my camera.

Go to Disneyland often enough and you’re sure to experience an attraction “going 101”. This is the radio code for a ride being non-operational. If you happen to hear it said while you’re in the park, it usually refers to the attraction being down unexpectedly. It was operating normally, and then something (either major or minor) went wrong.

I’ve experienced this several times myself, sometimes in line, and sometimes on the attraction. The ones I can recall are:

Honestly, I’m surprised it’s not more…and there are a few I haven’t been on when they go 101 that I’d really like to!

Attractions have all kinds of ups and downs within their storylines. They may have thrilling components, mysterious sections, peaceful times, and even scary moments. But these are all part of the attraction operating as designed. When an attraction goes 101, something stops operating the way it’s supposed to.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about the experience of his walk with Christ going 101.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”
~ Romans 7:15-23

Paul says that in his life, he knows how it should operate, what he should and shouldn’t do. But more often than he would like, he goes 101. Things don’t work like they’re supposed to. He does what he knows he shouldn’t and doesn’t do what he knows he should.

Does that sound familiar? It does to me. I can relate much more often than I would care to admit.

CCF04032012_00000Now, what happens when a Disneyland attraction goes 101? They turn the lights on, and the maintenance staff comes in, diagnoses, and fixes the problem—whenever possible trying to make sure the problem doesn’t recur.

We must deal with a 101 in our lives the same way. Our inclination is to leave the lights out and ignore it, or leave them out and try to fix it in the dark. We don’t want light shed on these matters—certainly not the full light of God’s truth. But that’s exactly what we need to do.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:5-10)

Fortunately, we have help. One of the main reasons that we don’t want to confess our sins or truly examine our lives is fear. What if I’m worse than I think I am? Will God forgive me? How could God possibly love me?

But we need not fear the answers to these questions, for they have been answered for us already.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 7:24-8:2)

Because of what Jesus did for us, we have no need to fear condemnation or separation. We can ask God to truly examine our hearts. We can endure the difficulty—even pain sometimes—of being made clean. It is not easy. But an attraction that doesn’t work properly is of no use to the Guests, no matter how difficult the repairs. And a life that isn’t inspected, cleaned, and brought back into good repair when we go off course can not serve God the way He wants us to—the way He made us to.

Question: Have you ever been on a ride when it went 101? Talk about it in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.



Randy CraneRandy Crane is passionate about helping Christians, especially those with a Disney affinity, to discover and connect to their GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE AND VALUE, to build their lives to achieve TRUE SUCCESS AND MEANING, and to POSITIVELY IMPACT their world. For more than two decades, Randy has been leading individuals and teams into a greater joy and child-like appreciation of the world around them, equipping them to reach beyond what they have previously experienced and build a God-given identity and purpose. Ready to experience that for yourself? Tell us where to send SIX free videos all created to help answer the 3 questions you need to experience PEACE, FREEDOM, and PURPOSE!

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