Bridge Maintenance

Love can build a bridge.  Everyone says so.

A brand new bridge is a sight to behold.  All shiny and bright, promising to stand strong and sturdy forever.  The entire town turns out for the ribbon-cutting and the dedication, and the celebration is an occasion to remember.

Then the daily activity resumes.  The traffic rolls.  The river rolls.  They take their toll, even as all sorts of vehicles travel to and fro, taking for granted the strength of the bridge underneath their wheels.

However, those who know the most about bridges know that Love needs help in keeping them strong and safe and reliable.  They know that daily upkeep is necessary in order to keep them standing.

Yes, indeed, Love can build a bridge, but it takes a whole crew to maintain it.  These guys all work together around the clock to ensure the continued integrity of the concrete and steel structure, and they need recognition, so here are their names, in no particular order:

Respect, Honesty, Communication, Humor, Humility, Mercy, Tolerance, Compassion, Passion, Generosity, Openness, Commitment, Equality, Understanding, Forgiveness, Forgetfulness, Faith, Hope, Compromise, Appreciation, Thoughtfulness, Consideration, Loyalty, Fun, Patience, Affection, Sincerity, Admiration, Interest, Concern, Genuineness, Acceptance and Perseverance. 

Their foreman is Prayer, and their supervisor is the Great Engineer Himself.

When this Bridge Crew hands over their monthly invoice, the cost of their services may seem pricey. Parts are easy to come by, but the labor can seem like highway robbery. The expense is too much for some, so they allow the bridge to weaken and finally collapse.  

“What a pity,” the folks say.  “Sad . . . but understandable . . . the crew was too expensive.  They wanted too much.  They wanted to take too much of what was most valuable.  They demanded Time.  Who can afford that?”

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