Footprints in the Sand

Footprints in the Sand

One night a man had a dream.
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 belonged 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 in his life.

"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."
-Author Anonymous

Whenever I read this poem, I know that I am never alone. In times of trouble, sadness, grief, loneliness, despair, or whatever it may be, I know that there is someone there guiding and helping me along. This actually isn't the original copy of this poem and its author is no longer anonymous. The original was written in 1936 by Mary Stevenson and copyright ownership was granted in 1984, 48 years after it was written. During those 48 years, some of the words of the poem have changed and it was usually followed by "author anonymous". It is very interesting how the ownership came about. If you would like to visit the website for more information the address is:
http://www.footprints-inthe-sand.com/

Jenni