Have you ever felt stranded? Our neighborhood is currently isolated due to road construction at the entrance to our housing area. We must go north and four miles out of the way, when just two weeks ago I could get to the same spot by driving only one block south. We live next to a two-lane street that is being widened to four lanes. Ours is the last two block section of work needed to complete ten miles of four lanes. They saved it for last because they are putting a bridge to go over a small stream.

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about bridges. Did you know that there are truss bridges, steel arch bridges, suspension bridges, drawbridges, pontoon bridges, and toll bridges? Many bridges are over waterways, but some span huge depressions or other obstacles. Bridges are built for various reasons, and they often connect two communities. A bridge can save miles of driving, hours of time, and become an absolute lifesaver. But the thing that I’ve noticed is that bridges take a long time to construct, must be built to absorb the maximum weight, and are extremely expensive to build. One bridge may cost several times more than miles of the highway. Bridges also need constant and diligent repairs. Thousands of our nation’s bridges now are in need of repair, and they represent dangerous situations if they are not taken care of soon.

Have you thought much about bridges? You probably won’t give them a thought, even though you drive over several bridges every day. Only when you have to detour will you begin to appreciate them. But what about the bridges in your own life? Have you taken the time to construct them in your relationships, so that when the floods and storms of life come, your road won’t be washed out? Have you taken the effort and energy to build that bridge with your spouse, children, parents, family member, friend, or co-worker? Start building the bridges of relationships now while the sun is shinning and the traffic is light. Build your foundations deep, put in plenty of steel and concrete, and allow for the worst disasters. For even if your road is wide, long, and fast, just one small unattended area in your relationship can cause you an expensive detour.

This world has known many brilliant and talented bridge builders. Their works are some of the most amazing feats of mankind. On the other hand, the greatest bridge builder of all time is Jesus Christ. He bridged the gap between a helpless humanity and a holy God. He provided an arch from the temporal to the eternal, from an uncertain future to an unending hope. As you consider the bridges in your life, He’s the one bridge that you want included on your roadway. When the floods of life overwhelm you, He will allow you to travel safely over to the other side.

Building My Bridges,

Kent.

“There’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us — Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free.”
1 Timothy 2:5-6 (Message)