One night a man had a dream…
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The LORD replied: “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Although the authorship of this very famous poem is disputed and lawsuits have been filed, regardless of dozens of people having claimed credit for it… the beauty and significance of God carrying us in our times of trial and suffering remain.
We’ve been hearing so many awesome testimonies throughout 2022 at Lifespring! We have heard countless accounts of the Lord providing in miraculous ways – provision of practical needs, finances, peoples and communities… the list goes on and on.
We’ve witnessed the turnarounds of our Lifespring family members as we have listened to them share of God’s goodness and mercy sparing them for certain destruction and been amazed at the timing and graciousness of the Lord…
Each of the stories we’ve heard and been witnesses of have shared common threads… threads which also continue to weave in and out of our own stories… God’s presence with us, here and now, no matter what.
Many times, we don’t realize the Lord’s presence in difficult times until much later down the road… or in the case of this poem, further down the beach. Sometimes we forget to give thanks or to acknowledge the faithfulness of Emmanuel, God with us, because we’re busy searching for evidence of his presence.
I encourage us all to take a moment and pause; to look back or perhaps to look around right where we are!
Can you see the footprints in the sand?
Are you back down running along the shore again or are you growing tired and in need of those strong arms to carry you?
What are the questions you have for God in your day today?
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.The righteous person may have many troubles,
Psalm 34:17-20
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
May we all hear the loving kindness of God as he makes himself known to us, reminding us how precious we are and how glad he is to carry us home.