Don’t burn bridges in case you need to go back

“So, Naomi returned from Moab.”

— Ruth 1:22 (NLT)

“Don’t burn your bridges” was a favorite saying my parents would often use to remind me not to exit an opportunity to the point of no return. I recently found myself giving the same advice to one of my adult grandchildren.

I heard that this saying about burning bridges originated in the military when bridges were burned during battles, leaving no possible way for the soldiers to retreat back from where they came.

We’ve all had an opportunity to burn a bridge or two in our lives. When we get disgruntled or impatient with a boss or organization, we can tend to leave without notice. If we leave a job without regard to the employer, we may harm our reputation when we need a good reference in the future.

I remember a time I left a job on good terms to risk obtaining a better employment opportunity, or so I thought. Four months into my new job I could hardly stand another day. The expectations were unrealistic and they didn’t live up to their promises. I clearly felt I had made a huge mistake.

I spoke with my old boss and found out my replacement didn’t work out, and I was welcomed back. Within the next year I was surprised with a promotion. I’m not suggesting this always works out, but burning my bridges would not have allowed me to return to my old job, which was a better fit for me than I realized.

The Bible tells us about a woman named Naomi, who, when her homeland was experiencing a famine, left with her husband and two sons to go to another place.

Some years later, after losing her husband and her two sons, it appeared things just weren’t working out there as well as they originally thought. So, she decided to return to her homeland. One of her daughters-in-law returned with her. Sometime after her return she received a financial blessing and the gift of a grandchild.

Going back doesn’t always mean we’ve been defeated or made a mistake. It doesn’t mean we have to stay there indefinitely. But we can go back with a change of perspective and new appreciation for what we left behind. That’s the true blessing.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.