I was driving through the dusty backroads of New Mexico when I came across a conspicuous sign that read, “Highest Bridge in New Mexico and 2nd Highest U.S. Highway Bridge.” I looked up ahead and was immediately perplexed because I saw no evidence of a large bridge of any kind. Curious, I pulled up closer and stopped so I could inspect. Just a few feet from my car, I encountered a large, deep gorge. I knew the road ahead of me must be a bridge because the muddy Rio Grande river lay well below where I stood, a faint line in the depths of a high walled canyon that soared some 650 feet above it. Yet from the top, the bridge was remarkably unassuming. There were no towers, no cables of any kind I could see. It looked like a simple bridge with cement side rails and nothing much to recommend it.
I strained to see the sides and underpinnings of the bridge, but from my view I simply couldn’t; I couldn’t appreciate the engineering that went into creating this vast bridge so I could easily cross from one side of the gorge to the other. You would have to be miles away, looking from a different vantage point, to truly appreciate the engineering of such a large bridge. I actually had to go online to later to find a picture of what I drove across.
I think God is a lot like that Rio Grande Gorge Bridge I saw outside of Taos that day. He is working in our lives, engineering and building to help us move forward on our journey. Yet just like that bridge, we don’t always see or recognize all of the work and effort He is putting in on our behalf behind the scenes. Sometimes, it takes time and a different perspective to really understand all He has done. And sometimes, we don’t get to the right vantage point until we move onto the next life. Still, God is working. He is moving and building and digging and supporting in your life each and every moment of each and every day. When life goes seamlessly, He’s there. When you’re in over your head, he’s there. When friends, family and religion fail you, He’s there. He is constantly moving quietly behind the scenes to allow us to drive forward. And the more we learn to trust Him with our journey, the smoother the road goes. For Further Thought: “He will never let me stumble, slip or fall. For he is always watching, never sleeping. Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night” (Psalm 121:3-6). –AND– “A lazy person’s way is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is an open highway” (Proverbs 15:19). When we give way to our fear, forgetting that God is on our side, and when we forget to consistently spend time with Him but get lazy in how we approach our faith, challenges will block us and emotions become more overwhelming. The challenge this week is to spend time talking with God and take a moment to remember the times He has delivered you in the past. Remember, too, that just because you can’t fully see what He is doing from your current vantage point, it doesn’t mean He isn’t working on your behalf. Remind yourself of the blessings He has given you, and choose to faithfully reach toward Him. He will get you back on that open highway.
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