What Water and Bridges in Dreams May Mean
Almost everyone at one time or another has had a bridge in a dream. I would venture to say ALL of us have had water in some form in our dreams. As in all dreams, context will rule the interpretation if it is positive, neutral, or negative.
As with all dream symbols, take into consideration the purpose of the symbol. The purpose of a bridge is to get you "over" to the other side. It makes it easier to get to the other side of something. Usually, a bridge is over water. While most Christians seem to get into the rut of interpreting a symbol the same way every time, we have to be careful to keep things in context and consider all Scripture to help with our interpretation.
Let's take a look at what water may mean in dreams. While water can sometimes represent the Holy Spirit, water has many other interpretations: It can represent purification if we are washing in it; Justice or judgment [Amos 5:24]; Wrath [Hosea 5:10]; Affliction [1Kings 22:27; Isaiah 30:20]; Strong feelings [Job 3:24]; and depending on if you're playfully enjoying it or drowning in it, it can represent a multitude of things like feeling overwhelmed, drowning in sorrow, or feeling refreshed.
We also have to remember to consider the type, condition and purpose of the water. For example, is it a puddle, pool, ocean, fountain, river, a sea of glass, or waterfall? Is it clear, muddy, shallow, deep, hot, rushing, turbulent; drinking, swimming, observing, drowning, cleaning, etc. Seek further insight for specifics. Water many times represents things of the spirit, so "bodies of water" may also represent churches, moves of God, deep things of God, etc.
Since water often represent emotions or affliction, in dreams, bridges can often indicate you are trying to "get over" something - a betrayal, a shock, a difficult time in your life, a transitional time in your life, a relationship, etc. Have you ever heard of the saying or the song, "A bridge over troubled water?"
What's the condition of the bridge? Where are you at on the bridge? Have you made it across or are you half way there? If you made it across, it's a dream encouraging you that you've gotten over something. If you're still on the bridge, it's likely a processing dream that reveals you're still dealing with an issue and have a ways to go for healing - it may reveal you're not over something or forgiveness is necessary in order to get to the other side. The length of the bridge may reveal the length of time you had to go through or are still dealing with.
What would be the purpose and how do we respond to dreams of still being on the bridge? We pray and ask God to help us get through this time, or perhaps to help us get over something we are struggling with. We take inventory of our heart and forgive where necessary. We find scriptures that declare the truth in our situation and we are careful not to be ruled by our emotions or make hasty decisions.
If it's a specific bridge that has a name, the name may give insight to a deeper interpretation. For instance, recently the Francis Scott Key bridge was hit by a barge and it caused a collapse. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner - the national anthem of the United States. If that were a dream, it could possibly mean that the enemy is "barging" in and trying to destroy our freedom and ability to get to where we need to be as a country. Do you see how that is also true, even though it wasn't a dream? You can apply the same strategies to life to see what God might be saying. Of course, we need to be careful in our interpretation and seek the Holy Spirit in EVERY circumstance.
Remember, context rules the interpretation, so consider the entirety of the dream when interpreting. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth if you seek His guidance.
