Bridges

Recently I was enjoying a walk in nature when I came across this bridge. This was somewhere I had never been before and wondered what was on the other side. Beyond this bridge was unknown territory waiting to be discovered.

Every day, every moment, we stand before bridges in our life. We are faced with decisions whether to cross or not. Decisions as simple as which route to take to work, what to have for breakfast, or whether or not to call a friend. Some decisions may have more significant meaning for our lives. Do I accept this new job? Do I call that friend that hurt me? Do I say those words in anger one more time? Do I repeat that same bad habit again?

The difference between the bridge I came across on that trail and bridges we face in life is once we cross life bridges, we can’t go back. Every moment is a bridge. Every decision a crossing. Each determining the next path in this journey called life.

If you will, excuse me for a moment as we stop along the path for a brief theological reflection. Does I AM know the future? People have debated this for thousands of years. Recently, I heard an explanation that really resonated with me. What if I AM doesn’t know the future, but due to I AM’s infinite wisdom, I AM knows every possible bridge that lies on the other side of the bridge before us? What if every possible outcome of this next decision is in the mind of I AM? And every possible outcome of the next decision? And so on. It is mind-blowing, but also reassuring.

I have always struggled with the idea of I AM knowing my future. It conflicts with free will. It seems controlling and predetermined. But, if I AM knows every possible bridge I will ever face, then there is wisdom to be gleaned from listening.

Thank for the brief stop on our walk. Let’s return to the bridge.

Today, you will face an untold number of bridges. Which ones do you cross and which do you pass? How do we know what is the “right” one to choose. The reality is there is no one right bridge. But, and this is where wisdom comes into play, there are better bridges than others.

Unfortunately, we – unlike I AM – cannot see every potential bridge on the other side. However, we can make better decisions when we listen. Listen to I AM. Listen to our experience. Listen to others. Listen.

Sometimes – more often than I care to admit – I make decisions without listening. I rush to cross a bridge before considering what bridges might be on the other side. And while I often get frustrated with myself, I also have to offer myself grace and remember that even on the other side of the bridge there will be bridges that lead to better paths.

One of the best ways to choose the better bridge next time is to learn from the bridges we have already crossed. But we shouldn’t waste our energy wishing we could go back. That moment, that decision, is etched in history. The only real choice we have today is to consider the bridges before us and cross the better ones.