The Lock

People are always surprised to learn that I never journaled.
I always loved to write but never took the time to write each day.
Until now but that is a different story.
I always wanted to write in a diary and even asked for one for Christmas.

I wanted a pink diary.
I wanted the kind with a lock and a small key on a satin ribbon.
The ribbon was always far too short.
I simply cut the satin ribbon on the one diary I ever had so I could easily open the lock.

Since the pink diary was in my nightstand drawer, the key had to be in there as well.
It was just a matter of time before the small key that was not attached to the diary got lost.
The diary seemed more trouble than it was worth.
The diary stayed in the back of the nightstand drawer with only a few entries in it.

I was disciplined about other things.
However, my day to day thoughts stayed in my head rather than on paper.
Those day to day thoughts in my head became stories.
Those stories could be longer and more detailed than the small confines of a diary page.

It was the lock that I remembered.
The lock that was so flimsy.
The lock that was more a decorative than functional.
The lock that even though the diary key was lost, I could still open.

Locks always gave me trouble.
I never had a locker until high school.
The combination lock on my locker was my nemesis.
I remembered my combination but I always went past the number and had to start over.

Many of my friends would turn their lock to every number except the last one.
Then when they went to their locker they only had one step to complete in order to open it.
I never wanted to do that.
Consequently, I went through the hassle of repeating the combination each time I opened it.

Thankfully I never locked my keys in my car.
However, I did lock myself out of the house when my children were quite young.
That is a horrible feeling to know that you need to be on the other side of the door.
My purse and keys were in the kitchen and I left the house carrying only the diaper bag.

In my teen years, a popular necklace was worn.
It was a tiny key on a chain.
The giver would give the recipient this necklace and say the expected line.
I am giving you the key to my heart.

I never had one of those necklaces nor ever wanted one.
The only key I ever wore around my neck was my skate key.
In the days before shoe skates, metal skates were worn over your shoes.
The key tightened the front grips so that your feet stayed in your skates.

Wearing a skate key around your neck on a long string was the thing to do.
Your skate key was always handy.
Your skate key was always ready to tighten your skates.
How I wish I had kept one of my skate keys.

I began thinking about locks and keys when my husband and I were in Pittsburgh.
We walked around the city at night after having dinner with friends.
The skyline as it was reflected in the river was a sight to see.
We walked across the Roberto Clemente bridge; it was then that I saw them.

Hundreds of locks were fastened to the bridge railing.
Many of the locks had names and dates on them.
The locks were everywhere.
We wondered about their significance.

Like many things having to do with fashion and romance, it started in Paris and spread around the world, literally taking hold here in Pittsburgh. Thousands of locks, many bearing the names of couples, attached to city bridges. With the keys thrown away and combination forgotten, they are symbols of an enduring commitment. But one person’s love token is another’s eyesore. Here in Pittsburgh, city and Allegheny County officials have seen enough. “We would like people to express their love in other ways if they could,” says Stephen Shanley, the Allegheny County Public Works director. Starting this year and over the next six years, the county will be spending $20 million rehabbing the Clemente, Warhol and Carson bridges. Shanley says contractors will be removing all of the locks on all three spans to refurbish and repaint. They will also lop off any that may reappear. “We want to discourage it in the future,” says Shanley. Locks rust and others chip paint. In Paris, there were so many it threatened collapse one bridge, so the city had them removed in sections. “Some people out there find the locks a nice attraction,” says Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Mike Gable. “Others find them to be a detracting visual.” However, Gable has ordered crew to remove the locks from the nearby Anderson Bridge where they just started springing up. “We need to get them off now before they become a populated area,” he said. With spring around the corner, romance is in the air, but going forward, the city and the county want lovers to find another way to lock in their commitment. (KDKA-TV Investigator Andy Sheehan, March 8, 2016)

As my husband and I drove to our hotel, we saw a bride and groom on the Clemente bridge.
I thought it was an odd place for wedding pictures.
I assumed that it was just the beauty of the bridge and the skyline that drew them to that spot.
Now I know that this lovers’ bridge with the locks attached symbolizes enduring love.

Obviously, removing the locks does not signify the end of a relationship.
The lock is a memento, a marker of sorts.
My husband carved our initials in two places when we were dating.
We talked about it and wondered if the initials are still there after all these years.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will never forget you! See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:15,16)

Jesus does not need a lock and key to symbolize His love for us.
Jesus will never forget us.
Jesus’ love for us never ends.
Jesus did leave a mark on His hands.

The nails that pierced Him left scars that He incurred for us.
When we see Jesus face to face, He will still have those scars.
Those enduring marks of His suffering in our place will be forever visible.
No one can remove them or take them away.

There is no other sign of love that is sweeter.
Our Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose again three days later.
That is the demonstration of His great love for us.
That is all we need.

Locks on a bridge are only temporary.
They are not lasting and can be removed at any time.
Jesus love for us is eternal.
Jesus’ scars on His hands is proof of His enduring love.

Our name is engraved on the palms of Jesus’ hands when we come to Him in faith.
Our name will never be removed and will never be thrown away.
The love of the Lord Jesus is eternal.
In Christ, you are locked safely in his loving hands.

2 responses to “The Lock”

1. We saw a small bridge with locks like this in Italy. I’d never seen one or knew what the locks meant, but my kids did. I thought it a neat idea, never thinking it could be a problem. But to be locked in the arms of Jesus is the ultimate gift we can receive. I pray for those who don’t know this to be led to Him.

   Reply

   • Sue,
     Seeing the locks on the bridge was charming; however, I too, would much rather be locked in the arms of Jesus.
     Gina

     Reply