As I write this, we are less than 12 hours away from ringing in a new year. Personally, my enthusiasm for this event is a bit tempered this year. I’ve written about the reason for that in several other posts – and there will probably be more. Right now, though, I’d like to spend a few minutes talking about bridges; what they are and how we’re supposed to traverse them.
We could talk about the different kinds of bridges. There are short and flat ones that go over small creeks and such that you may never realize you’re even going over. There are tall and ominous ones, typically with a big arch, that go high up over water (or another road), stretching to each side, to allow big boats to go underneath. Then there are suspension bridges where it seems without all those wires and cables it would just fall down. And then you have the long and low ones… If you’ve ever been to the Florida Keys, you know what I’m talking about. Sometimes those can be so long, you get in the middle and can’t even see land on either side. (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, anyone?)
What exactly is the purpose of a bridge, though? That’s where I want to go with this. A bridge is very functional. It takes us from one place to another. It may add some convenience, but it isn’t necessarily easy. A bridge really represents a period of transition from one place to another:
Where you were – to where you’re going.
Your past – to your future.
What was – to what will be.
This period we’re in right now, after the holidays and through the start of the New Year, is one type of a transition. What does it look like for you this year? Compare it to those bridges we mentioned earlier. Is it short and flat, and you’re not even aware of it? Is it ominous for some reason? Maybe it’s even suspenseful? Or is it a continuation of a long and seemingly unending slog, where you can’t yet see the other side?
What are the other transitions you are going through in life right now? It’s been my experience that there is usually more than one thing going on at a time. I’ve learned that God likes to work on us on multiple levels, simultaneously. (And we need to be OK with that!)
So, think about what you’re going through right now. What are the transitions you’re in the middle of? Let me ask you a possibly tricky question: How are you going through it? How are you handling it? How are you traveling? And another question – How should you be going through it?
For some guidance on this, let’s look at some examples in scripture.
We’re going to briefly study three types of transitions that somewhat mimic the bridges we spoke of earlier.
Short and Quick
Read the account of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). His transition took just moments! He told Jesus that he wanted to see and “immediately” he had his eyesight. Isn’t this the model we want all our transitions to follow?
“Jesus, I have a need"
“What do you want?”
“It.” (Whatever “it” might be.)
“Done, now you have it!”
Oh, if only it were so every time.
Mid-length (and sometimes suspenseful)
When you read the first chapter of Acts, particularly the first 9 verses (Acts 1:1-9), you can learn a lot about the first century church and the influence that Jesus had. After the Resurrection Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples and others preparing them for what was next. Then he gave them some specific instructions and He ascended back to heaven. The 120 spent the next 10 days together, waiting for what was supposed to happen “soon”, but no one really knew what that meant. It paid off though when the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost.
Long (and drug out)
The story of Joseph is a great example of a much longer transition. So much so that it takes up 14 chapters of the first book of the Bible (Genesis 37-50). There are many facets to this account. It’s best to read it on your own, but the quick summary version is this: Joseph has a dream (Genesis 37: 5-11), then after a while he gets thrown into Prison (Genesis 39:19-20). Eventually he becomes exalted to Pharaoh’s number 2 guy (Genesis: 41:39-45) and then at long last he becomes reconciled to his family (Genesis 50:19-21). (Like I said, you need to read all that on your own to get the full impact.)
We could even discuss some longer transitions like the Israelites wandering for 40 years in the desert or the 400 years between the Old and New Testament. And then we have the transition we are all experiencing right now, 2000+ years waiting for Jesus to return!
Now, what can we learn about how each of these were navigated? I’ll keep it very straightforward:
Blind Bartimaeus
He knew Jesus could help him – he had FAITH
He asked Jesus to help him – he PURSUED
He RECEIVED his blessing
And then he FOLLOWED Jesus
The 120 after Jesus’s Resurrection, and particularly after His Ascension
They were OBEDIENT in waiting
They BELIEVED what Jesus told them
They PRAYED
Joseph
He remained FAITHFUL to God
He was STEADFAST, not allowing the behavior of others to dissuade him from being obedient.
He had a long-term, God-focused PERSPECTIVE
So, back to the earlier question… What are the transitions you going through in life right now? How are you traveling? How are you heading into this new year?
Given what you learned from these passages, is there anything you need to adjust regarding how you’re handling them? Take a good look at those bold and capitalized words above. Spend some time thinking about this over the next day or so.
The great thing about a new year is that it represents a fresh start. I pray all of us head into it with a fresh perspective of what God is up to in and around us.
Happy New Year!
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