Cool Breeze Walks: The Friendship Bridge

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loveth at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

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.