Up so close
Looking up close can you make out what the picture is of? Can you see the nails in the wood maybe a little bit of an arch? Looking up it from this angle it looks large and maybe a little intimidating to climb for someone little. It is a foot bridge in the garden.
Looking closely at the footbridge from this angle it is difficult to define the image. It is difficult to decide if you would even want to approach it much less walk across it. How much does that close up foot bridge represent our lives? How many times have we been so close to a problem that all we can see is the arch of the footbridge we don’t want to cross because it seems like it would take too much energy to try it. How many times have been so close all we could see was the rusty nails in the bridge we were sure that would cut our feet and make us bleed? How many times have we been just too unsure of what was on the other side to ever attempt to cross it. So we just walked away head hung and never faced the footbridge. Our footbridges have been new job opportunities, we just were not sure we would do well in. Retreats that seem to take to much energy to attend. People we could have loved but we saw the rusty nails ready to cut our hearts and make us bleed. Challenges that just seem too distant to attempt to cross to the other side.
Would it not be easier if we could back away from it to see the footbridge in it’s entirety to know what would happen? To see that we would be able to cross without harm, that the energy would be available to us that we could see the rewards on the other side.
Such is life we will never see it all until we have passed over that challenge, loved straight through the loss and loved again, tried the new job and then decided if we want to further pursue it, made that retreat or new experience happen and put ourselves out there for all to see. In retrospect of many experiences in our lives we can see the full picture later. However when we never took the chance, the risk, the challenge for growth the close up version of the picture still remains.
For those who have taken the chance the picture below is revealed.
The full picture of the footbridge
You see we see only the up close version in life at the beginning of all things and situations. God sees the full picture at all times. We must let God guide us for He knows the outcome. If we trust and have faith God will guide us over the tiny footbridge and reveal the garden to our eyes.
Next time, for there will be a next time, as you approach your next footbridge pray for guidance from God. Listen with your heart and instincts God will let you know if it is time to walk that particular bridge or not. If you feel He has written upon your heart to cross take that chance ignore the nails, the climb and the not knowing. Muster the energy. Trust in God and cross the footbridge for what is on the other side can only be revealed to you if you dare to cross over.
