From the time I was little, I have had a fear of crossing bridges, especially if they had fast- running water under them. The ones that especially frightened me were the ones with grids where you could see through the bridge to the water. Then there was the board out at my Uncle Ernie’s place that you had to cross on foot when the creek was in flood stage, and I don’t believe I was ever able to walk across it. I can remember my cousin Jim (who was quite a bit bigger than I was) carrying me over it at least once. Every time he took a step, the board would sink a little, but as long as he was carrying me I wasn’t afraid. When I started learning to drive, there was one bridge that was on a country road, and whenever I had to cross it (with a Model A Ford) I was afraid I was going to hit both sides of it at once. Of course I never did, because there was lots of room, it just didn’t look like it from the driver’s seat! Sometimes I would have a nightmare where I would be driving over a long bridge, and the water kept rising and coming closer to the bridge until part of the bridge was submerged in the water. Then suddenly the bridge ahead of me was under water, and when I looked behind me that was under water too, so there was no way of escape. I would awaken in a real fright, as you can imagine. Sometimes in our lives we have bridges to cross that don’t seem to have any end, and the dark waters loom ever closer. That’s when we need to let Jesus carry us across and trust in Him to reach the other side safely. Dear Lord, help us to know in our hearts that You are there to carry us through the hard places, to lift us up when we have no strength in ourselves, to have faith that in Your arms there is security, and that You will never let us fall. “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young… Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 40:11, 46:4 NKJV ©2006 H. M. Stratton All rights reserved. Website: www.pleasantportals.zoomshare.com Email for questions, comments, to subscribe or unsubscribe: mamastrat@myfam.com or mamastrat@hotmail.com