Blasting Bridges

Yesterday I entered the control room of the Highway 40 project. All day I imagined what it would be like - the players, the power, the plush. But it was more like a big building with paper signs on each door and a bunch of guys in jeans (didn't see many women) sitting at their computers working. We met the quarterback, a 40ish engineer with small-rimmed glasses and a slightly southern accent. I think his kids were the same age as mine. He gave us the timeline for the rest of the year and what to expect for 2008. And as he quietly explained when the next bridge would be obliterated, I began to think about how this man's decisions (and his crew, of course) will impact millions of people - not just the ones who have to reroute their lives, but all those who will visit or pass through St. Louis in the next two years. Now that is power. And responsiblity.

As I continued to digest the scope of this project, I kept comparing it to my life in Christ and the power that God has in my life. I often try to fix my broken bridges and bad entrance ramps with scotch tape and a screwdriver rather than the best materials available. It's sort of like putting on a Broadway show inside a teepee or running a marathon in flip flops. Even though the next couple of years will be chaotic, frustrating, and tempting (I'm sure I will complain), there will be an end, just like our life on this earth. And that final product will be more amazing than we've ever known before. I guess demo is a good thing. The more our bridges get remade, the more we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I'll try and keep that in mind as I wind through the back streets of St. Louis.