The Friendship Bridge

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loveth at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

© 9/10 Angela Beatty

It had been a while since I walked this trail... much longer than I thought. I was totally surprised to find this dilapidated contraption standing among debris, dry rocks, and a slight trickle of water where a bubbling stream hand once meandered under a freshly painted and sturdy bridge. The shock literally stopped me in my tracks and confused me. I had to pause and try to figure out exactly when I had last been there. My best guess was eight years ago.

It's amazing that things can change so drastically in less than a decade. I tend to forget that time is eating away at everything and expect it to remain just as I last saw it. At least.... time wears away things that aren't kept in good repair. I can't imagine letting a bridge just waste away after all the hard work that went into building it! It seems like such a waste!!

But maybe I do that too. Like the stream, relationships dry up and the need for a bridge to connect two people just doesn't seem as important anymore. Does it? But when the spring rains come again, and the brook is bubbling, a broken bridge is useless in making a connection. All of the years spent together... all of the laughter.... the tears.... the learning about each other.... where does it all go? There's something heartrending about recognizing the shell of a once strong friendship and yet being helpless to span the gap that now separates you.

Whether it's a friend or family member, it's worth the time to make sure our bridges are still serviceable and can be crossed when the need arises.

The Ultimate Bridge

Hebrews 2:17

New Living Translation

Therefore, it was necessary

for Him to be made like us,

his brothers and sisters,

so that He could be our

merciful and faithful high

priest before God.

Then He could offer a

sacrifice that would take

away the sins of the people.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bridges are wonderful things. Many are beautifully artistic works of a great architect, while others are simple, rustic, utilitarian structures. Regardless of their aesthetic appeal, they all serve one purpose... to span the gap from one place to another.

In my work as a Christian educator, my greatest discovery has been the value of becoming a bridge - spanning the gap between children and parents, between students and understanding, between youngsters and knowledge, between the rules and the rulebreakers, and between students and God. To be honest, it's dirty work. Sometimes you get walked on, run over , trampled, and have the treadmarks to prove it. But the end result of priceless reconciliation makes it all worthwhile.

The greatest bridge ever built spans the gap between mankind and God: Jesus Christ. How can I ever express my appreciation to a Savior who stooped to earth, wrapped himself in lowly flesh, and walked among us so that he could understand our infirmities and weakness. Yet he was beaten, mocked, humiliated and killed for his act of love. Still he loved us enough to willingly make the sacrifice and now stands as a mediator between God and man... our Savior... a bridge between heaven and Earth.