FOOTSTEPS

This passage is well known.

I remember this had a profound effect on me because I was very angry with God. This arose because of an austere and punishing catholic boarding school education. I had no time for men of the cloth and all things religious. I was pretty angry with most things actually.

I recall rarely crying, not since childhood but this verse burst something in me at the age of 52 because I bawled like a baby. I read it about a week into treatment pretty strung out on a detox! The experience left me feeling completely defenceless and I was aware of a terrible loss and grief. It was as Bill put it, truly, "ego deflation at depth".

I have the following screen saver on my iphone today. One set of footprints!

Here it is:

Footprints
Also Known As "I Had a Dream"

One night I dreamed a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

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Margaret Fishback Powers, 1964 originally attributed to Mary Stevenson 1936.