Bridges of Love

It's hard to believe that autumn is almost here, and I'm more convinced every day that time passes more quickly the older I get. It seems like only yesterday it was the beginning of another year, and now it's almost the end of that same year. With fall comes football and falling leaves and lots of traffic near the high school around the corner from my house. With fall comes pumpkins and apple cider and children dressing in costumes and asking for candy at my front door. And with fall comes Awana at church on Wednesday nights and me saying yes when asked if I would be a listener again this year for little kids to recite Bible verses.

Last night was the first night for me to go listen because I was out of town last week, and honestly, all day yesterday I dreaded having to go. I haven't been involved at church for quite a while ... I slip in and slip out on Sunday mornings and rarely have any interaction with anyone there, and when I do, I usually end up in tears and things get really awkward really fast. So, I was more than stressed yesterday wondering how I was going to get through the evening ... but ... but ... but ... I love those little kids, and I kept telling myself that it was for them. I slipped in the back door just in time for the kiddos to head into their rooms, breathing a sigh of relief that I didn't encounter any adults as I ducked into the first room to begin my listening duties. The leaders were busy with the children, so other than a nodded hello, all I had to do was listen to the kids and sign my name when they completed a verse. This will work, I thought as I headed to the next room ... I can duck in and listen to the kiddos and duck out ... this will work just fine. 

I thought about beginning this post by promising that it would be the last bridges one ... but in light of God's repeated presentation of the bridges lesson to me, I decided that perhaps I shouldn't make such a bold statement. It was as I walked into the room to listen to the last group of kiddos recite verses last night that He put before me what may be the most important bridge lesson He's shown me yet. A sweet little girl saw me come in the door and jumped out of her seat, ran over to me and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist. "Oh, Miss Terrie, I've missed you so much! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a really, really, really long time!" I hugged her and told her I had missed her, too, and asked if she had a good summer. She let go of my waist and I held both of my hands up for her to high-five them, something I had done last year each night as the kids came in or left the rooms. And that's when God decided I was the one who needed to learn something last night.

Instead of slapping my hands, the girl grabbed them and raised our hands over her little head and said, "Look, Miss Terrie, it's a bridge ... my Daddy says when we do this, it's a bridge of love ... it's a bridge ... I love you, Miss Terrie, I really do." I'm sure I stood there like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car, stunned by the glow of God's love and truth in this little child. I managed to finish listening to the kids, but by the time I got to my car, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was sobbing as I drove home, and I kept repeating the words the little girl had spoken ... a bridge of love, a bridge of love, a bridge of love. For all the times I've felt unworthy and unloved and unwanted, a little child made me think about the bridges of love that God has extended to me over the years. She made me think about the ultimate bridge of love, the sacrifice of God's Son ... His one and only Son Who stretched out His arms to be nailed to a cross ... His one and only Son Who says every day, "This is how much I love you, Terrie ... this is my bridge of love to you."

"And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.'" Matthew 18: 2-6