Love can build a bridge
It was early morning May 28, 2024. This Disciple Messenger was doing a final check of three blog entries I thought were ready for posting. I had just read through ‘What does it take to wake you?’ when I was given some additions to the entry. I added what had been given to me and thought that would be the final word.
I soon found that once again I was having a ‘too big for my britches’ moment … deciding for myself that God had told me all I needed to know instead of listening until I heard no more before moving on.
Realizing what I had done, I reprimanded myself, hoping God would accept that as enough. I had learned self-evaluation that leads to voluntarily making needed changes is much easier than hearing from God. Though his tough love is delivered as kindly as possible, I always feel deep remorse at having disappointed him.
What I heard next was, ‘Love can build a bridge’. Silence followed. I was not sure what I was to do with what I had been given. It seemed vaguely familiar to me, perhaps a song I thought to myself. I decided to follow that thought and found that it was, indeed, a song written by the team of Paul Overstreet, Naomi Ellen Judd, and John Jarvis. Rather than charge forward on my own, as I am too often prone to do, I waited quietly and listened for more guidance.
The next I heard was, “Love makes connections between hearts. In other words, Love builds bridges.”
“Walls are built by indifference, hate, greed, envy, and fear,” came next.
“You can tell by the building materials one chooses whether the intention is to build bridges or walls.”
“Wall builders use materials that divide — words that incite hate, fear, doubt, words meant to divide and conquer. Wall builders are often known for their loudness, their bragging ways – claiming to be the only one who can save you, the one taking punishment, so you don’t have to. Their words and actions are self-serving, ideological based. Paying attention to wall builders and following their directions will lead you into an entrapment shared with others who are filled with as much fear, lack of trust, disillusionment, hopelessness, regret, extreme sadness, anxiety, or depression as you. You will find yourself isolated from loving family members and friends who chose love’s bridge. A walled prison – literal or figurative — is not a satisfactory place to be and should not be a place in which you wish to find yourself.”
“Bridge builders choose their materials carefully. They use words that unite, give hope, courage, and help you know that you are part of a satisfactory solution that brings success. These bridge builders most often speak in quiet ways to counter the loudness of the wall builders. Their words and actions follow the Biblical guidance of love God and love others as self and do to and for others as you would want others do to and for you. If you pay attention to their words, their truths, you will find your way across love’s bridge where positive connections can be made.”
God added, “I am all about love and the way that it can build bridges and make connections. I am all about love and the way it can help save souls. The connections made by loving others as you love self leads to reconciliation.”
He then suggested you look up the lyrics to the song ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ and let the words guide you to bridge-building exercises. Finally, he asks, “Don’t you think it’s time to build bridges and tear down the walls? Seriously, don’t you think it’s time?”
He adds, “I know it is time. It is time to wake up and reconcile, America.”
UPCOMING: Heavenly Puzzle Parables