Wile E. Coyote and Me – and maybe You!

“Beep! Beep!”

Ah, Wile E. Coyote—arguably the most persistent (and least successful) predator in cartoon history. Armed with an unlimited credit line at Acme (seriously, who’s underwriting this guy?), he’s always on the heels of the ever-elusive Roadrunner. And just when he gets close—BAM! Something catastrophic happens.

Maybe it’s a faulty rocket-powered roller skate. Maybe it’s an anvil that defies physics and lands on his head. Or maybe it’s the classic: he speeds off a cliff, hangs there for a moment, flashes a look of pure regret, and then—whoosh!—gravity remembers he exists.

“Beep! Beep!”

Poor Wile E.

But you ever stop to think… maybe we’re all just coyotes in this wild, cartoonish world?

One minute, you’re sprinting full-speed ahead, feeling good, and then life pulls a sneaky one on you. Maybe it’s a doctor saying “cancer.” Or a spouse saying “divorce.” Or your boss saying “we’re going in a different direction” (which, let’s be honest, is code for “you’re fired”).

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s that moment when you look around and realize the world you knew—the values, the norms, the comfy sense of certainty—has morphed into something you barely recognize.

And there you are… hanging mid-air over an existential canyon, just like our old pal Wile E.

Cue the panicked expression.

Cue the desperate flailing.

Cue the realization: “Oh no. The ground is gone.”

And then?

Splat.

But here’s the thing—Wile E. doesn’t splat forever. Nope. He dusts himself off, makes another questionable investment in Acme products, and gets back to the chase.

“Beep! Beep!”

Life is that Roadrunner. Fast. Tricky. Sometimes mocking you as it speeds ahead. And yet, every morning, you wake up and chase after it anyway—after meaning, love, joy, peace, purpose. After the stuff that makes life worth the bruises.

And if you think about it, you’ve been doing this since day one.

Remember childhood? Gone. Adolescence? A blur. Adulthood? Feels like you blinked and now your back hurts for no reason. And if you’re like me, in your “golden years,” you’re wondering, “Wait, when did I turn into the person who groans every time they stand up?”

And politics? Forget about it. Every few years, half of us get our own “cliff moment.”

The bottom keeps dropping out, doesn’t it?

Go ahead—make a list of all the times life has left you dangling over the void. Could be a fun (or terrifying) little exercise!

“Beep! Beep!”

And yet… here you are. Maybe a little banged up, but still standing. And why?

I think it’s because of something called **faith**.

Faith is what makes Wile E. Coyote get up and try again. Faith is what makes us keep running after something better, even when we’re not sure what’s ahead.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not yet seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith says, “Yeah, I’ve been flattened by life more times than I can count, but I still believe there’s something worth chasing.”

Because we’re not just chasing cartoon birds. We’re chasing **LIFE.**

God’s dream for you—for us—for this whole crazy world—is worth the pursuit.

So, if you’re currently suspended in mid-air, staring at the abyss below, take a deep breath. Have faith.

And get your ass back in the chase.

“Beep! Beep!”