Construction

I was driving over a bridge last week with my son in the car. After a few minutes he sighed in frustration, “When do you think it will be done already?!”.  You see the bridge on the way out of our town has been under construction for years now. They started on one side and shut down the other years ago. Now they are on the second side and have the reconstructed side open. It has caused so many delays over the years. I remember when it first started, I would be late to work day after day. Eventually I started to remember the construction was going on and I would simply leave home earlier. It has caused so much mess, and tons of debris has been hauled away. Millions of dollars have gone into the bridge construction. It seemed slow. Painfully slow. At times, we’ve wondered and inspected it looking for any change at all. So often we would see no change. Then, suddenly, as if overnight there would be dramatic change and improvement. Yes, it is tedious and monotonous but, changes are indeed happening. We don’t always see them (and it’s messy) but it’s happening. It’s happening for the better. A sturdier foundation has been built. An upgraded and improved version is emerging.

Isn’t that how life is? Change and growth in our lives is long and tedious. It’s monotonous and messy. Often, we feel so much work is going into things, but nothing is happening. We feel delayed. We feel like there is so much debris to be hauled away. Money and time are being invested and we don’t know if it’s worth it. Often, it seems we’re delayed, or we are delaying the people around us. But it is happening. It takes time. It’s messy. It’s complicated, and that’s OK! Patience and consistency are needed. Inside of us, the changes are happening.  Slow and steady. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Celebrate the smallest things. Trust the process. Trust the time. Trust the investment. Your foundation will emerge stronger and more solid. It will seem like an overnight miracle. It will seem like suddenly you’re different, in a different place, emerging as the beautiful butterfly you are!  So, hold on. Hold fast. The construction will end, and you’ll be through the mess if you don’t give up.