Redefinition

"Water under the bridge is never coming back."
-Josh Ritter


I can't help but imagine an intersection. A place where roads meet and people interact. We are all constantly crossing each others paths, but this intersection is different. In this exact intersection, we understand, we forgive, and we embrace. After we cross this intersection we embark on a different path. A path that is a little lighter than the one before. Void of bitterness, void of anxiety and hurt towards the other individual. The new path is one traveled in love, and love never fails.

The problem is that I don't know the name of the street you should be on. I'm not even confident that I'm on the right street. All these streets look alike. In fact, I know that some streets will take me to where I want to go faster than the streets that will most likely bring me to this intersection with you.

So I weigh my values on a scale. What do I value? You should be able to tell by now, that this isn't simply a matter of logistics. The question is really, how many steps am I willing to take in a direction that might not benefit me, to have a healthy relationship with you?

I know that this demands trust. That means to trust that you will find that road, and find me. This is might not be realistic, but if I truly love, than I will be pushed to trust. I also know that a healthy relationship demands respect. This can be much more difficult, because as trust is a bi-product of love, respect a reflection of direction... and your life might be a train wreck, which makes respect hard. However, healthy relationships also demand grace and empathy, which make respect possible.

So let me be honest. I believe that there is something good inside you. Something so beautifully soft and human that longs for the most pure things. You might have tried to satisfy those longings with impostors, and those impostors might have led you to a place that you don't want to be. The regress will be painful, and might seem impossible. But I wonder, would it help you get there if you knew that I trusted you? If you knew that I respected you and have empathy for your story?

I want to find that intersection that restores relationships. I want to find the path that brings people back in to healthy community. A bridge where we could meet and watch the water pass by beneath us, knowing that it will never come back. That is where I want us to meet, because our roads might not be that different after all.