Bridges

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 2 John 1:12 (NIV)

Our community is blessed to be intersected by a wide beautiful river. The river was the main transportation route for the early pioneers who came here in the mid 1800s who all settled along the river. Every family had a boat or access to one as they shopped, visited friends, went to school all up and down the river. By early 1900, people wanted to move about by horse and wagon and later by car so a bridge was built across the river. This first bridge was a one lane structure with a turn out in the middle. If two people were coming from opposite directions, one had to pull over in the middle of the river and wait until the other passed by. Later, other bridges were added and now, we have three bridges and the possibility of a fourth, all carrying people to and from the north and south sides of the river. Because I live on the north side and work on the river’s south shore, every day, along with thousands of other motorists, I cross over one of those bridges. I try to gauge which one I chose based on my destination and the time of day. For some reason, the middle bridge backs up more between 7:30 and 8:30 than the other two do. But, if there is an accident on one bridge, the other two are affected, so I have to pay attention to the news as well. For some reason today, my bridge of choice was even more congested. As I sat on the top watching the brake lights ahead of me, I had some time to think. I thought about three bridges clogged up like a septic tank full of bacon grease (oh, yeah, that’s another story.). That first bridge across the river opened up a whole new world to county residents with a way to could exchange ideas, goods and services and build friendships that they couldn’t do as easily before. Now, it is just a three minute (usually) jaunt over the bridge. Relationships are not determined by geography. Sometimes, husband and I fail to communicate. We let life get in the way of our relationship and making sure that each of us knows what the other is thinking and feeling. Just like our river has three bridges over it, communication is more than just information going from one side to the other. It also involves our relationship with God. Think of the shape of a triangle. If I am listening and talking to God and husband is as well, then, as we each individually grow closer to God, the distance between the two of us grows shorter as well. And if I am open in my communication with God, it makes it easier to talk to husband. Our community needs all three bridges working properly in order for good traffic flow. All three lines of communication need to be open in order for a relationship to be strong as well.