Don't Fill Ditches, Build Bridges
We’ve all got them—those potholes and ditches of poor choices, embarrassing moments, and seasons we’d rather forget. Maybe you yelled at your kid like a wild hyena over spilled Cheerios, or maybe your “five-year plan” took a sharp left into “what-in-the-world-just-happened” territory. The truth is, life gets messy. But God isn’t in the business of throwing out broken stories. He’s in the business of redeeming them.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Here’s the good news: your past mistakes don’t disqualify you. They prepare you.
Here’s the good news: your past mistakes don’t disqualify you. They prepare you.
You see, the enemy would love nothing more than to keep you down in the ditch, handing you a tiny shovel and whispering, “You’ll never get out of this.” But God says, “Put the shovel down, child. I’ve got something better.”
That brings us to this life-giving truth:
Don’t try to fill in the ditches of your past. Build bridges over them. This will allow you to remember the victories over the defeats in your life.
We often try to cover up our past like a toddler hiding a crayon drawing on the wall. But God isn’t asking us to pretend the ditches never happened. He wants to build bridges over them—structures of grace, testimony, and transformation. Not so we can go back and camp in the pit, but so we can cross over with others, leading them out of similar places.
We often try to cover up our past like a toddler hiding a crayon drawing on the wall. But God isn’t asking us to pretend the ditches never happened. He wants to build bridges over them—structures of grace, testimony, and transformation. Not so we can go back and camp in the pit, but so we can cross over with others, leading them out of similar places.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV)
Your past isn’t meant to be buried and forgotten—it’s meant to be redeemed and remembered in the right light. When handled righteously, our past becomes a platform for God’s power. Those bridge posts are built with humility, repentance, and trust.
Your past isn’t meant to be buried and forgotten—it’s meant to be redeemed and remembered in the right light. When handled righteously, our past becomes a platform for God’s power. Those bridge posts are built with humility, repentance, and trust.
And yes, it’s okay to laugh along the way. Some of the things that once made us cry now make us shake our heads and chuckle—“What was I thinking with that haircut and that relationship?!”
So what do you do now?
Consider a few steps to move forward:
Acknowledge the ditch.
You can’t build a bridge if you deny the gap.
Invite God into the project. Let Him be the chief architect of your healing.
Use your story to serve others. The bridge isn’t just for you—it’s a testimony others can walk across too.
Keep walking forward. Don't settle on the bridge. Use it to move into the future God has for you.
“The righteous may fall seven times, but still get up.” – Proverbs 24:16 (CEB)
A Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You that my past does not define my future. Thank You for the grace that lifts me out of the ditch and for the hope that builds bridges to something better. Help me trust You with every broken place and let my life become a testimony of Your redeeming love. Use what I’ve been through to bless others and remind me often—You waste nothing. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Friends, it’s time to stop shoveling and start building. God’s not done with you yet.