Just another bridge?

If you are reading this chances are you have crossed a bridge, seen a bridge, lived by a bridge or possibly even built a bridge. Chances are,you know something about bridges. Like, they can be big, they can be wide, sometimes they aren't safe. And maybe you know different types of bridges. Like, rope bridges, metal bridges, etc. But there is one type of bridge that not many people know about. It  is a bridge that you can't walk on. And it is also narrow. A journey for only one person at a time. This is a bridge from uncomfortable to comfortable. From unknown to known. This is a bridge for every person who moves, feels left out, or tries to fit into a new culture.

 As you take the first step you have a choice: you can make
 friends or be lonely. Once you make that decision (a hard one as your new friends might not look like you or act like you), you are ready for the next step. (Remember that your decisions affect your integration). Watch or stay at home. You can walk outside and watch what the other people do or you can stay inside and do your own little thing. Your decisions may affect other people too on other bridges.

Now, if for multiple steps of the journey (each choice has multiple steps of faith), you have picked the first choice, the better choice, you feel that this bridge is pretty safe. But, if for multiple steps of the journey, you have picked the second choice, the worst choice, you are wondering what is holding up the bridge. You are hoping that it will support you. But no matter what choice you have made you are ready for the next step.

Question or make fun. Now you are more aware of the differences between you and the people who surround you. You can either question them (in a nice way of course) or you can make fun of them. 

The next steps are a series of choices. Not the most important choices, but they will still affect other people and the way they look at you.

 After that, it hits you "why am I here?" "I don't even want to be here!" These series of steps are called, "I want to go home!!!"

Then comes the important choice, be confused or be embarrassed. You can watch and be confused or you can be embarrassed about the differences between you and the other people.

Then comes the step of disorder. There comes a time where you don't care where you put things down, how you put things down. The key word is down.

The next steps are a series of differences. Now you may not have seen these differences before, but you definitely see them now.

Then comes the final step: trust or fear. You can either trust God and your new friends or you can fear anything and everything.
Now that you are finally across you can see what is holding this bridge up. You can see Jesus' hands holding up your life.  And you can see other bridges in the distance.     

My School Marie-Reine

Do you remember your first day of school? The bus ride there or maybe just your mom's car? Asking your parents if you are going to have friends ten times in a row? Being nervous? Asking yourself if your teacher is nice? Looking up at the big school building and wondering if you want to do this? If you can do this?

For many of you that day started in Kindergarten in the U.S. But for me my first day of school was in fourth grade when I was nine. I came in the middle of a school year and I did not speak the language. I was in Canada and I was asking all the questions you were and some more. Some of the questions I was asking were, "Do they speak French?" Yes. "Will I have friends?" Yes. And, "Can you pray for me?" Yes.

I was as scared as you were. Everything was in a language I couldn't understand. When I did home-school we never had music class and when I learned that music was my first subject I burst out crying. What made it worse was that it was a substitute teacher and we were playing the flute. The teacher gave me a flute and I just sat there.

After that my day went pretty well except for a misunderstanding or two. Happily, since then things have changed a lot. I understand almost everything my teachers say, but I still do not play the flute.