Over Troubled Waters

Because I live North of the Missouri River, and my job is South of that same river, my knowledge and appreciation of bridges is increasing daily. Twice a day, I must choose one of the five nearby bridges to complete my journey. A couple of the these bridges are located on major highways and the traffic and speeds are such that there is no significant difference between the regular roadway and the span over the river. You never even realize that you are on a bridge.
But, the one I prefer to use is a "bridge looking" bridge. It has graceful steel girders in an arching design that strikes me as quite beautiful. My favorite bridge was built in the 1950's to provide access to our smallish island-like airport, from the downtown area.  Howard Hughes' office was in a building, still sporting its Thunderbird-like designs, immediately adjacent to the southbound lanes of the bridge.
From the center most arch, you can see the dramatic curves of the Missouri and the point where the Kansas River, aka The Kaw, meets its much wider sister.  KC, Kansas, and the industrial river bottoms are to the West of the span. These views are possible because of the 45 mph speed limit and the narrowing lanes, which cause the traffic to  go very slowly across the bridge.
Today, while creeping my way over the Missouri, I noticed two large snags in the center of the river. Snags are large logs or even trees that get washed along by the river and at some point get caught on the bottom and stay lodged in one spot. Dozens of 19th century paddle wheelers were sunk when they hit river snags.
I think every one of us has had our share of snags. Nobody has smooth sailing or even easy paddling all the time. Life isn't easy. It's how we choose to deal with our snags that makes life real and meaningful.
Any day now, someone or something is going to dislodge those two snags, and we will all be better for the experience.

Lord: You never promised us a perfect existence. Guide us and lead us as we travel down life's highway. Keep our bridges strong and our pathways clear. Your steadfast love endures forever.