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 of 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 precious, 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.

Cliched? Overused? Tired?

A ‘yes’ to all three of these descriptors of the Footprints poem might work. Nevertheless, I enjoy it and I was thinking on it as I walked along the beach in Dubai. It’s great to know that we have a God in Heaven who is sovereign and thus rules over everything. Even when life’s storms roll through, with faith in Jesus, I can be confidant that my anchor will hold.

I’ve heard it said that Christians, or religious people in general, are weak to have to rely on believing in something unseen to make them feel better and make sense of life, instead of being strong in themselves.  To this I say, “Absolutely!  I am weak!” This is why Jesus says that “the meek will inherit the Earth.”  When we get to a point in our life where the stress is too strong, the troubles are too terrifying, and the pain is too paralyzing, there is no where to turn, but to God!  But, it takes humility to say that we cannot handle our life on our own and devote it to following Him.

I wish I had all the answers and a magic formula for life — unfortunately I don’t.  But what I do know, is that when I loosen the death-grip I have over how I try to control and manipulate my life to suit my own desires, the easier life becomes.  Instead of spinning my tires in place and scrambling to get no where, I can give my troubles over to God and let Him deal with them (for He is certainly capable).   God wants to help us, but we have to allow Him to help us, or He’ll let us go on our miserable way, all alone.

What I take away from the Footprints poem is that the man walking with Jesus on the beach was humble enough to admit that he couldn’t go through this life all by himself.  He needed and wanted a savior — someone to carry him through life’s darkest moments.  In today’s culture, a meek person, a humble person, a person poor in spirit, runs contrary to the ideas of self help, self gratification, and self importance, so that we can be the center of our own universe and control all that revolves around us.  Society says that we need to get recognition, that we shouldn’t appear weak, and that we can solve all our problems if we just search within ourselves.

I humbly submit that we will never have the power within ourselves to ease our troubles and make sense of life.  Once we rein in our pride and admit to ourselves that we need help, God steps in and carries us the rest of the way!  I struggle with failing to give areas of my life over to God because I want to be in control.  I want to do better in that area.  In a word, I need to be more humble.  

So where are you today?  Is there some part of your life that you just need to let go of and allow God to carry you?  I’ll bet, like to poem says, that if you give it to God, He won’t let you down.  It’s okay to not have all the answers and it’s okay to be “weak” in the world’s eyes.  God will never let down those who humbly put their faith in Him.

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