I’ve written a few times about thoughts that come to me on my morning walk near where I live. It’s not surprising that I get ideas while out walking because that’s one of the reasons that I do it.
Walking and thinking is something that people have done for generations and generations, it’s great way of relieving stress.
Near our house I’m very privileged to have a whole set of walks through fields and woods. There are all sorts of alternatives, all of them out into the countryside.
The options for walking would be very limited though is it wasn’t for the wonderful invention of the bridge.
Our house isn’t far from a four lane section of the M6 motorway, there’s just a thin slither of countryside between the two. There’s a nice path down this slither, but it would become a bit dull if I couldn’t go down the path and along the lane under the thundering traffic and out into the open fields beyond. Then travel a bit further along to the old railway line and back across the wide footbridge, that links it back up to the other side.
On other days I can go through the woods a bit further along and over the footbridge into another set of woods where I’ve seen deer a few times. This footbridge is so narrow that if you look down towards your feet you can feel like you are flying over all of the vehicles as they speed underneath.
Trying to cross the M6 without access to these bridges would be a recipe for suicide, literally. If it wasn’t for these bridges I would be stuck on my side of the motorway. I would have places to walk, but my options would be so limited.
The bridges enable me to connect to a much broader set of experiences and a whole new set of opportunities.
There is common phrase used about broken relationships: “burning your bridges” which suggests that relationships are a bit like bridges. If bridges open up new opportunities and relationships are like bridges how many relationships do you have that open up new prospects. I count myself as particularly blessed with the number of friends that add so much to who I am.
There’s also another relationship that broadens my perspective in so many ways and that is my relationship with Jesus. Many people see Christianity as something that shrinks peoples options, but a relationship with Jesus does exactly the opposite.
Jesus: “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Graham Chastney 