“Footprints in the Sand”

Photo by Suzi Rosenberg

Day 27

I love the poem “Footprints in the Sand”.  It reminds me that Jesus not only walks with me when I need Him but at times He even carries me.  I can depend completely on Him when I feel inadequate.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”
By Mary Stevenson
We all need someone to be there for us in difficult times.

I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing.  I looked at my alarm clock. Three a.m.

I heard my dad talking on the phone in serious tones. He was asking about my older brother, Ervan.  When I heard him ask, “Is he going to live?” I knew something terrible had happened to my brother.

For the next few months most of my parent’s time was given to visiting my sick brother in the hospital. When he was finally well enough to come home they were busy taking care of him. They had to prepare special meals for him, and feed him, and change his dressings among other things. In time he healed and became independent again.

While my brother was sick he depended on my parents. My parents never neglected the rest of us but like a shepherd caring for a lame lamb until he is healed they had to give him a lot of extra care. During this time I’m sure my brother developed a very close relationship with my mom and dad because they spent so much time together.

There are times in our lives too that as His child God has to carry us.  We depend on him completely.  Sometimes it’s as we go through a difficult time in our life, like a divorce or an illness, or a financial crisis.  When situations are out of our control and we feel lost He comes and walks the dark hills reaching His hands out to us and carries us back to that safe place close to Him.  He cares for us as we depend completely on Him.

A shepherd has to leave his other sheep as he looks for the lost or hurt lamb, and a parent is forced to neglect the healthy child temporarily because of  their limitations. Unlike the shepherd and our parents, God isn’t limited.  He is with us 100% of the time while He is with the extra needy 100% of the time.  He never leaves us or forsakes us.
“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do?  Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others and go into the hills to search for the lost one?”  Matthew 18:12 [The Living Bible]

“God has said, ‘I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 [The Living Bible]
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 27 Today read:
Exodus 4:1-5:21
Matthew 18:1-20
Psalm 22:19-31
Proverbs 5:15-21

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When Jesus Chooses You

“One day as he was walking along the beach beside the Lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers – Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew – out in a boat fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen.
Jesus called out, ‘Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!’  And they left their nets at once and went with him.
A little farther up the beach he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and he called to them to come too.  At once they stopped their work and, leaving their father behind, went with him.” Matthew 4:18 -22 The Living Bible

How honored these four fishermen must have felt to be chosen by Jesus to further His Kingdom. But God had prepared them.  They were introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist and were there when Jesus was baptized. God always prepares us before He call us.  If He calls we can be assured that he also enables us or gifts us to do the work He asks of us. These four men were fishermen but Jesus called them to be fishers of men.

 Are you hearing God’s call too but hanging back, not quite sure that you want to or can do what He asks of you?  A few years ago I really believed that God was calling me to write for Him.  I always wanted to be a teacher but since my husband was a builder it made sense to me to run the office for him, do the bookwork and all that it entails.  But the time came when it became feasible for him to sell the business and at middle age I went back to college for my credentials to teach preschool.  And what fun I had.  I loved teaching. Preschoolers are so impressionable and I fell in love with them as they fell in love with me. 

So I taught a few years but I never forgot about my dream.  Ever since I was an adolescent I dreamed of being a writer.  I had taken some courses in writing years ago, did some writing but decided to leave it for some profitable job instead. 

When we moved to Calgary I took advantage of all the employment opportunities and worked in an office.  I liked it but there was always that ache to be write.  I chided myself that I was too busy and I didn’t want to spend all that time writing my book and then maybe not having it published.  Office work was my safer choice.

I knew God was calling me to write, especially this specific book that was forming in my mind.  Through some wonderful people’s encouragement I finally quit my job and wrote while I helped my daughter home school my grandkids. And God has been faithful in guiding me and bringing me to have my book The Lion Tree published and much more in my writer’s world.
I also have a children’s picture book, A Christmas Present for Goliath that my granddaughter illustrated, ready to go to the printers.  My next book, Battle in the Lion Tree, is in the making.

You too can trust God in His call in your life. God is faithful. If He calls you He will do it.

Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids:

Do you ever wonder why you’re here on earth?  What God make you for?  You’re busy all day enjoying your activities: school, sports, friends, family and your hobbies.  But sometimes you might wonder, how does this all come together?

God has given you those interests and talents and abilities. Maybe you’re great in music, or in sports.  Maybe you’re a real leader.  Your friends and even your teacher look to you to initiate things.  Maybe you’re very socialable and just love being with kids and interacting.  Maybe you’re quiet but your mind is always analyzing what’s going on around you.  God has given you these individual gifts and is already developing them in your life to fit in with the plans He has for your life that He will reveal in His time.  He has chosen you to serve Him in these ways. He is already using them in your life to be a blessing to others.

Just as Jesus called these four fishermen to come follow Him Jesus is calling you to use your talents and abilities to bring glory to Him.  I hope you have big dreams of how you can use these specific gifts to please Him more and more as you mature.  God promises that He is faithful; He will be there for you making sure you can accomplish what He calls you do to for Him.