Showing posts with label bridges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bridges. Show all posts

Saturday, March 18, 2023

The Bridge of Trust

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Cincinnati has several bridges that cross over the Ohio River and connect the city to northern Kentucky. The Roebling bridge was built in 1866 and at that time was the longest suspension bridge. The bridge itself is a beautiful structure with the arched trusses and light blue paint. Although the bridge has been under repair from time to time, thousands of folks have driven back and forth into downtown Cincy or Covington.

The people who travel across the bridge, John A. Roebling designed and built, trust the structure to carry them across and keep them safe. Much like any bridge or highway, we believe the engineers did their job and created a safe means of transportation.

I remember crossing a causeway in Georgia when I drove down to visit my brother on St. Simon’s Island. Being from Ohio, I’d not encountered such a structure. As it rose into the air, even though it was not as high as I imagined, my anxiety rose a bit too. But I had to trust it to take us to the island.

I tend to trust whatever works consistently. So why is it so hard sometimes to trust the One being who is always the same? God never changes. He’s present in my every day life and has never given me a reason to doubt Him. As I’ve grown older and hopefully wiser, I tend to place my life in His hands more and more. As the psalmist says, “my heart trusts Him.” I’m so thankful God remains the same no matter the circumstances and He helps me as I navigate life. I praise Him for His ongoing presence and reliability.

Trust God with everything. He has our best interest at heart.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Find the Tunnel

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Can you hold your breath through a tunnel?

On vacation or road trips, I remember a game where we tried to hold our breath while we crossed a bridge or drove through a tunnel. I think that was our parents' way of getting us quiet for a few minutes. Oh, wait, I was the parent, and yes, it was the perfect game for a moment of peace.

In my travels, I've never been a fan of crossing bridges, especially long ones. I remember on one trip we drove across a long curving bridge over water, and my stomach turned into ball of nerves. On other trips, we've traveled through tunnels, and I loved them. When Hannah lived in the Carolina's we drove through a couple of long tunnels that snaked under mountains, and I was always excited to see the light at the other end. There's something about the anticipation of seeing daylight shine on the way out.

While riding through a tunnel in a car with headlights can be fun, navigating life in the dark isn't. Depression, illness, sorrow, pain, and sin can all cause darkness to swallow the light. But I have good news. Jesus' light outshines all the darkness in the world.

For many years, I struggled with anxiety and some depression, but Jesus didn't leave me there. He guided me to find a doctor who could help, he answered prayers, and gave me hope. But in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I first had to find the tunnel. God's word, His voice of truth, lit my way through the place I needed to walk. On the other end, I found joy and hope.

Maybe you know the way to the tunnel that provides light, but haven't driven there yet. Maybe you're in the tunnel and well on your way to the light. Maybe you've missed the tunnel altogether. No matter what, keep moving toward Jesus and seek His light. He loves every one of us.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

A Crossing I Look Forward To

Penny Frost McGinnis
John 17:1-5
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

For most of my life I feared bridges. Nevertheless, I’ve had to travel across them. Several years ago, my young daughters and I, with my brother and his family, traveled to Georgia to visit our other brother. To get to St. Simon’s Island, where he lived, we had to cross a causeway. Similar to a bridge, the concrete road rose above the water to a peak, then came back down and connected to the island. As I drove I felt like I might propel straight to heaven before we came down on the other side. Then there was a bridge in Maryland I rode on, over 4 miles long, that curved across the Chesapeake Bay. It was beautifully engineered but gave me butterflies. If that’s not enough, the old Maysville bridge that crossed the Ohio River filled me with great anxiety every time we traveled to the college my daughters and I attended (at different times.) Fortunately they’ve updated it and added a new one down the road. So when Tim and I walked across the Purple People Bridge in Cincinnati, I had a mini-celebration.

My fear of bridges has dissipated over the years although I still get a flutter sometimes when I cross over. But one bridge I’ll never fear is the one God has given me to get to heaven. Jesus is the bridge to eternal life. He’s the only way for imperfect people like me to be forgiven. Because of Jesus, I look forward to a home in heaven where I’ll be free to rejoice and praise God all day long. Because of Jesus I have the freedom from sin that gives me peace and hope. He bridges the gap between earth and heaven and that’s one crossing I look forward to. Praise God for Jesus!

Have you ever feared bridges?