Driving up Iron Bridge Road for the first time, I was terrified. This road in my New Jersey neighborhood shoots straight up the mountain, cresting at a one-lane bridge. I call it Scary Bridge because you cannot see the other side while crossing…you only hope you’ll make it over in one piece. I was already afraid of heights, but being new to the area, I wanted to see where the road led. I made the choice to conquer this fear.
Approaching the bridge, I honked my horn to alert any oncoming drivers. Then, crawling at what must’ve been 5 mph over that rickety bridge, I prayed. And when I finally reached the other side, my breath left me as I took in what must be one of the most beautiful views I had ever seen. The hills and valleys opened around me in a sweeping panorama. That bridge taught me something about what happens when we act even while afraid.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary faced their own “scary bridge” on Easter morning. Fearful and uncertain after witnessing the earthquake, the angels and most importantly, the empty tomb, they also felt joy and excitement. Making a choice, they ran to tell the others. They had no idea what this path would mean for their lives. And Behold! Jesus met them and greeted them on their way!
In stark contrast, the soldiers who also witnessed this great miracle were afraid… but rather than becoming overjoyed, their fear was mixed with dread. They had lost the body they were hired to guard. They had a lot to lose: their jobs, their families, their very lives. “Some of the guard” went to tell the chief priests. When offered a bribe to lie, the soldiers took it.
But not all of them. Scripture says some of the guard went to the priests. Not all. We aren’t told what happened to the others…could Jesus have met them too? Could we hope that some of them recognized Jesus and changed their lives to follow him?
How many times do we allow fear to paralyze us when we see a bridge but can’t see the other side? It can be hard to know how we’re supposed to respond. But even when we feel shaky, we can let Jesus guide our actions. He may not pick us up and carry us over the scary bridges we face, but if we move forward to cross them, He will be with us. If we take one step, Jesus can direct the next step, and the next. Despite our fear, He can help us make it over the bridge in one piece. And let me tell you, the view will be worth it.
Cuando conduje por primera vez por Iron Bridge Road, estaba aterrorizada. Esta carretera en mi vecindario de Nueva Jersey sube directamente por la montaña, culminando en un puente de un solo carril. Lo llamo el Puente del Miedo porque no se ve el otro lado al cruzarlo… solo esperas llegar al otro lado sano y salvo. Ya tenía miedo a las alturas, pero como recién me había mudado a esta área, quería ver hasta dónde llegaba la carretera. Decidí vencer este miedo.
Al acercarme al puente, toqué el claxon para alertar a los conductores que venían en sentido contrario. Luego, avanzando a lo que debían ser 8 km/h sobre ese puente destartalado, recé. Y cuando finalmente llegué al otro lado, me quedé sin aliento al contemplar una de las vistas más hermosas que jamás había visto. Las colinas y los valles se extendían a mi alrededor en un panorama impresionante. Ese puente me enseñó algo sobre lo que sucede cuando actuamos a pesar del miedo.
María Magdalena y la otra María se enfrentaron a su propio “puente del miedo” en la mañana de Pascua. Temerosas e inseguras después de presenciar el terremoto, los ángeles y, lo más importante, la tumba vacía, también sintieron alegría y emoción. Tomando una decisión, corrieron a contárselo a los demás. No tenían ni idea de lo que este camino significaría para sus vidas. ¡Y he aquí! ¡Jesús las encontró y las saludó en el camino!
Exactamente lo opuesto, los soldados que también presenciaron este gran milagro tuvieron miedo… pero en lugar de llenarse de alegría, su miedo se mezcló con pavor. Habían perdido el cuerpo que se les había encomendado custodiar. Tenían mucho que perder: sus trabajos, sus familias, sus propias vidas. “Algunos soldados de la guardia” fueron a contárselo a los sumos sacerdotes. Cuando les ofrecieron un soborno para que mintieran, los soldados lo aceptaron.
Pero no todos. Las Escrituras dicen que “algunos” de los guardias fueron a ver a los sacerdotes. No todos. No se nos dice qué les sucedió a los demás… ¿Podría Jesús haberlos encontrado también? ¿Podemos esperar que algunos de ellos reconocieran a Jesús y cambiaran sus vidas para seguirlo?
¿Cuántas veces permitimos que el miedo nos paralice cuando vemos un puente pero no podemos ver el otro lado? Puede ser difícil saber cómo debemos reaccionar. Pero incluso cuando nos sentimos inseguros, podemos dejar que Jesús guíe nuestras acciones. Quizás no nos tome en brazos y nos lleve al otro lado de los puentes que nos dan miedo, pero si avanzamos para cruzarlos, Él estará con nosotros. Si damos un paso, Jesús puede guiar el siguiente, y el siguiente. A pesar de nuestro miedo, Él puede ayudarnos a cruzar el puente sanos y salvos. Y déjenme decirles que la vista valdrá la pena.
Margaret Gartlgruber longs for moms to know: You are enough! It is not what you accomplish that matters – God delights in you every single moment simply just for being you! A semi-retired stay-at-home mom, wife, author, blogger, freelance writer, lay RC member Margaret blogs at https://ruledbybananas.com/. Contributing St. Monica to the Cloud of Witness book, you can learn more by signing up to her St. Monica Novena, and get free copy of 15 Simple Morning Prayers.
Feature Image Credit: Larisa-K, pixabay.com/illustrations/bridge-forest-fantasy-trees-light-19513/
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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
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Frances Smit is a children’s book author, a Catechist (of the Good Shepherd), educator, and mom. She serves in-the-pews Catholics seeking MORE through stories that hold space for an encounter with God. She desires everyone to experience that with God, there is always MORE. 
Elizabeth Tomlin is the author of Joyful Momentum: Building and Sustaining Vibrant Women’s Groups and contributing author to the Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers. She is General Counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Elizabeth is an Army wife and mother of three and currently lives in Oklahoma. You can find her at @elizabethannetomlin on social media and she blogs at 
Deanna G. Bartalini, M.Ed., M.P.A. is a certified spiritual director, retreat leader, speaker, and writer with decades of experience serving the Church. She is the founder of LiveNotLukewarm.com, works on the retreat team at Our Lady of Florida Passionist Spiritual Center, and is an Unbound prayer minister. She has served as a religious education director, youth minister, liturgical coordinator, and stewardship director. She writes for 
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