Prayer Journal
Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Our city has two bridges that cross a river to the west. One older bridge leads to a North/South expressway corridor and a newer one leads to a East/West route.
This morning an announcer on the morning news referred to the "new" bridge as they spoke of traffic conditions. My wife pointed out the curiosity of that statement by asking, "I wonder when they'll stop referring to that bridge as the 'new' bridge?" You see, the "new" bridge was constructed thirty years ago.
We laughed at that for a while, recognizing that the "new" bridge is actually called the Hernando-Desoto Bridge. I asked, "Does the other bridge have a name?" (I knew it did, but I guess I had one of those "senior" moments) She reminded me that its name is Harihan bridge. (If I misspelled the name of that bridge, please forgive me) I seldom hear it called by that name, for you see it's commonly called.. you guessed it - the "old" bridge".
Being the great thinker of questionably useful information that I am, I began pondering what would change the status quo in our "bridge" speech. It dawned on me that the introduction of a third bridge would probably do it. For it would become "new" forcing people to distinguish between the two "old" bridges. Also, the deterioration of the bridge structure might make it difficult for some to continue calling it "new".
You're probably thinking.. "I can't believe someone could talk this long about something so trivial!" Well, hold on, there is a spiritual point here. Do you realize that everything is new at some point in its existence? Then, strangely, at some point in time, it is no longer called, "new". Take us, for example:
We're "new" when we're born. Then, as we grow, we lose that label. Then, we're called "young". As we age, we become "mature". Finally, we are called "old" as we approach the age at which death is no great surprise.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and tried to help him understand life in Christ. (Cp: John 3) He told him that redemption is not linked to physical age. Spiritually speaking, every person born of God must become "new" and be born again where spiritual life begins anew. Christians never grow "old" and everyday is an adventure to see what new things God is doing.
Whoever said that being a Christian was boring, doesn't know what the child of God knows. Just Thinkin'.. WebServant
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isa 43:18,19
(1) Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society
(2) The images used herein were obtained from the Learning Company's ClickArt Christian Graphics Deluxe product, (c)1999 The Learning Company, Inc and its subsidiaries, 88 Roland Way, Novato, CA 94945 USA. All Rights Reserved.
