New Version of "Footprints"

Imagine you and Jesus are walking down the beach together. For much of the way, His footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord’s, soon paralleling His consistently.

You and Jesus are walking as true friends.

This seems perfect, but an interesting thing happens: your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grown larger.

Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse. Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints.

You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray, “Lord, I understand the first scene with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You.”

 “That is correct.”

 “And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely.”

“Very good. You have understood everything so far.”

“When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way.”

“Precisely.”

“So Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated and this time it was worse than at first.”

There was a pause as the Lord answered, with a smile in His voice.

“You didn’t know? It was then that we danced.”

(Author Unknown)

“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.”