Bridging Change

I took this picture of a bridge over the Merced River in February 2018 and while it’s not my best technical work, it is an image that represents much of my 2018 – change from what is familiar to what is not. 

As each year winds down I invest some time looking back at what I have written, spoken about, taken pictures of, basically who and what I have invested time in and the outcome of those investments. 2018 has been a full year of improvements, failures, successes and changes. 

My change list from 2018 is about 30 items long.  Each change for me represents a bridge Jesus has built or led me to and asked me to cross with Him. Some of these transitions were really challenging because I fought the outcome. I didn’t want my landscape to change. In fact, I flat out grieved having to cross some of my 2018 bridges. 

Bridges are supposed to lead us over obstacles that would otherwise be impassable. My reality check; when Jesus brings me to a bridge in life, He expects me to cross it, not pitch a tent in rebellion because I prefer the landscape I know over than the landscape I can only partial see on the other side. Jesus never flinched at my reactions to change, He just kept building bridges for my path. Jesus does not stop preparing us for the future because we stop wanting to change.

Jesus will never ask us to walk across a broken bridge, scary bridges into unknown places, but not broken bridges.  As we cross the bridge from the hopes and dreams of 2018 into the uncertainty of 2019 keep this in mind – the unexplored territory on the other side is an adventure not an accident. Jesus is already in your tomorrow as He calls you today!

Action Items: 

1. Write down the successes, failures, and improvements of 2018 
2. Write down the names of new people or new relationships from 2018 
3. Write down 1 goal, 1 improvement and 1 change for 2019
4. What are the otherwise impassable obstacles to your goals, improvements and changes? 
5. Start praying for new bridges!