We’ll Cross That Bridge When we Get to It

Wedding prep has begun.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it” became a mantra I unconsciously assumed several years back. I found myself thinking it, and then saying it. When I saw a poster in a cute store in Ashland I purchased it. It doesn’t go with any of my decor, but it complements my mental state perfectly, so I’ve found a place to hang it where ever I live. It’s the secular translation to Matthew 6:26-27,

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

This scripture has loads of meaning to me that I won’t elaborate (too much) on right now. The biggest for me is that while I’m not hoping to add an hour to my life, I’d like to add an hour to my day. Daylight savings in the spring is my favorite holiday. An extra hour is reason to celebrate! This passage addresses our worry or fear of meeting our basic needs, but what about the “want tos” in our life, the things that we’ll regret if we don’t do or experience?

For those reasons, intentionality is important to me. That’s not to say I’m not lazy. But I like to schedule lazy, so I can fully embrace it. It could be that I know myself and without intention, I’d be a real mess. I hate getting up and I hate going to bed. While I schedule my alarm clock to get up early, I arise in sloth motion, doing my best self talking about all the reasons I love being up, ultimately. Once I’m up, it’s time to get busy, because the minutes are ticking away and the countdown to bedtime sneaks up on me. I’m like, “Dang! It’s 11pm again??

I don’t now if my intentionality is my nature or out of necessity. I have as many “want tos” as I do “have tos” in my life, so it’s probably both. Where some people interpret “live a little” as a way to reduce stress and live a carefree life, I interpret “live a little” as, yes, make the most of this life and don’t waste it. Spending money I don’t have or not preserving money for my future sounds like a jail sentence to me. Carpe diem means seizing this day in a way that will result in good things for tomorrow. God provides for me, but he doesn’t save me from myself. He has given us a free will with good instructions!

I have also discovered that my good intentions can result in disappointment because, like Proverbs says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Hard work is an investment, and the more I’ve invested, the harder the disappointment when things go sideways. That is where crossing a bridge when we get to it comes in. It balances my perspective of an intentional strategy with an understanding that nothing is certain.

So, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it” has also applied to Bridgette’s wedding that is less than two weeks away! With work and Christmas and a second income endeavor I have started, wedding prep was all in the preliminary stages, but now, we are crossing that bridge. All the ideas, conversations and commitments are being nailed down and we are full speed ahead.

Dumpster diving, and proud of it! I brought Bridgette’s sweet friend with me. It was a first for both of us, and we scored big!

As the new year approaches, there are other bridges I will cross, yet before I arrive at those, Bridgette’s big day comes first.

May intention bring us to great experiences as we each cross the bridges of 2019. May we be patient in the journey, fully embracing each one as we arrive. And may we remember that one thing is certain: no matter when or what bridge we cross, God is crossing it with us.

Happy New Year 2019!

Pro tip for a January wedding and a finite budget: Ask nurseries for their Christmas leftovers. Carpe Diem!