The Family Bridge

I've recently had the opportunity to exam bridges for a project at work. I never knew there were so many types and so many builders and so many architects and so on and so on.  Pedestrian bridges and bridges for cars. Suspension bridges and bridges with pillars. Lovely bridges and purely utilitarian bridges. Even fish passage bridges. Really?

I know there are people out there that make it their life hobby looking at bridges. Studying them. Taking pictures of them and pictures while standing on them or near them. I was never one of those people.

It got me thinking though about bridges and how they exist in families. There is that one family member that seems to relate to everyone. They aren't necessarily nice; they just aren't mean. They are usually good listeners. They serve as a bridge that allows family members to feel they are connected to the rest of the family without fear of having to swim or jump to reach them. They connect the family to each other.

Then there is the family member that bridges the family to what is going on in the world today. The news bridge person. They talk about politics or world events. They know exactly how many people died in the latest world disaster. They know when gas is going up or down, and they might even know why. They keep the family connected to the outside world.

And what about the spiritual bridge family person? He or she is the one that prays at meals, has the answers to the theological questions. Family members go to them when they are grieving or call on them when they are celebrating those precious life moments like new babies and marriages.  Most of all, this person shares an idea that there is someone out there watching us with the master plan in hand. They connect the family with a sense of hope.

My favorite family bridge person is the family sweetheart. The one who loves no matter what. This person always sees the good in people and is ready to console at any moment. They believe no one ever has an ulterior motive and thinks conspiracies are just cruel. They keep the family connected through a sense of love and innocence.  This bridge brings family members from the rat race of life to a place of solace. Somehow, with this bridge, the world seems like a better place.

I look at myself and wonder if I serve as a bridge. I had a minister tell me one time that I would serve as a bridge for families. That word of knowledge came a long time ago. I'd forgotten until this recent project. I thought he was talking about my personal family, and maybe he was, but recently God has put me in a place to serve as a bridge for families to find peace and renewal with each other. While I may have the job title of Registrar for Laity Lodge Family Camp, I believe my purpose is more than that. I serve as the connection between families and an opportunity to find relationship with each other, with nature, and with God.