Today’s Word: Bridge

Bridges — whether a short footbridge over a small creek or a majestic span across a treacherous bay — get us to places we cannot get on our own or at least not without extraordinary human effort. Without the footbridge, we run and jump across the creek, hoping we reach the other side without getting a little dirty. With it, we take a few effortless steps while perhaps stopping halfway across to view the trickling water below. Without the bridge across the bay, we plunge into the cold water and sink or swim while praying the sharks are off on vacation somewhere in warmer waters. With the bridge, it’s a quick drive and maybe a few bucks at the tollbooth.

Like jumping across the creek or swimming in shark-infested waters, getting through life purely on our own power is certainly possible. People do it all the time. But our faith in a compassionate and knowing God offers us a bridge over troubled waters, someone to stand in the gap for us when we find ourselves at the end of a path with no way forward. As we stand looking over this sudden expanse in our life — whether a minor gap or a major plunge — we know somewhere deep that we have choices.

Unwilling or incapable of asking for help, we must either turn back at this point or risk the cold and dangerous waters far below, not knowing if we’ll survive the jump, the deep water or the lingering dark shapes circling and waiting. Or we can take that first step out into thin air, secure in our faith in the bridge builder, confident that our footfall will find solid ground and a way across to the other side. This is our faith, that we keep walking, even when we cannot at first see the way.

Ask yourself in silence: Where do I need a bridge in my life right now? Do I have the faith to ask for it?