Rebuilt and Transformed.

The Souris River Bridge was rebuilt and transformed. This reminded Carol that we too, need transforming by the Master Builder.

Puzzle Pieces That Don’t Fit

My daughter emptied a new puzzle out of a box. As she sorted the pieces, she noticed that some had not been properly cut and still stuck together. Others had bit of backing sticking into the hole, giving evidence that they too had not been fully transformed into individual pieces. Making individual puzzle pieces means cutting them, changing them from one big picture to small pieces made to fit perfectly into another piece until in the end the entire picture is once again revealed. When the bits of backing stick into what should be an empty space to connect to another piece, the pieces don’t fit well together. Trimming needs to happen.

The Swinging Bridge

I stood to face my fears at the edge of the swinging bridge over the Souris River. Work needed to be done to chisel away the fear and replace it with some courage. Fear didn’t instantly disappear. It was a work in progress. I began by studying not only the bridge, but the information available about it. The workmanship, the history, and how much it was used and had been used for over a century. I learned a few things.

The Swinging Bridge History

This river had first been spanned with a swinging bridge in 1904 by an individual who wanted to give people a way to get from one side of the river to the other on foot. It remained in place until 1976. A remnant of the original is still attached to the one bank. It seemed flimsy with rope sides and planks of wood and hung low to the river. I think it would have felt as unstable as it looked.

In flood season, the bridge remained unusable, under water in the middle. It often broke and needed repairs. Finally, in 1976 a new one was built. The picture of this newer bridge showed that it looked a bit sturdier in the way it had been constructed but nothing in comparison to the modern one. A flood destroyed the one from the seventies and the newest version appeared in 2013. This time the engineers designed one to cross above flood levels and of much sturdier construction materials. This would make sure the bridge remained useable all year long and make people feel safer.  

New technology, stronger materials, and more information on how to construct something to last longer and be safer, now existed. The sway of the bridge might be less than that first attempt out of boards and rope,  but the initial intention of a swinging bridge to bring two sides of the community together for walking traffic remained the same. In constructing the new, they scrapped the old materials but kept the uniqueness of the project.

Broken People

We are broken people. Romans 3: 23 says,

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Even as believers, we can become broken by wrong choices, circumstances beyond our control, and giving in to temptation. But God is the master builder. He has a plan and design for each of us. This plan includes removing the old, broken mess and replacing it with a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 says,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”

Romans 12: 2 tells us,

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

A Work in Progress

The swinging bridge has been transformed—changed several times over the last century. Each time it has been made stronger, safer, and more useable. It has been a work in progress and continues to be inspected to make sure it is still doing what it should be in a manner to keep people safe. I may have allowed my fears of swinging bridges to be put to rest, at least a bit, that day, but I am not sure my thinking has been changed enough to attempt to cross it at flood stage yet.

What broken pieces do we need to give to God and allow him to transform them into something amazing?

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