Pamela Scott – Deacon
It was my mum’s 70th birthday at the beginning of February. I wracked my brains to try and get her something that was special and meant something to her. I suddenly had a brainwave, remember her favourite poem is “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson, so I got a copy framed for her. The poem is as follows:
One night I dreamed a dream.
As 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.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would 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."
It got me thinking about how God is always there to help us during all the difficult times in life, but there are others who can help us too. Disciples of Christ. We often think disciples were those men and women that followed Jesus while he was here on Earth. However, we are all disciples following in the footsteps of those who went before us in faith.
I remember one day several years ago, as a family, we were walking along the beach as we often did when the kids were younger. My husband was walking ahead with our daughter and I noticed my son was following his dad, he stretched his legs so that he could step into his dad footprints. Once Gary noticed he took smaller steps so that he could more easily allow his feet to fall into his dad’s footprints. This is a picture that speaks to me about discipleship. In our faith we always follow in someone’s footsteps. It may be a parent, teacher or a hero we have read or heard about – none of us are the first to tread the path of faith. We also leave footprints for others to follow, footsteps that will guide others. It may be a child, a friend or a recent Christian. Whoever it may be we should never allow them to walk alone.
So let bless others and be true disciples of Christ.
‘All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.’ John 13:35