Friday, March 12, 2004
the dance
this story is especially special to me. you know the story of the footprints in the sand... where you see two footprints in the sand and you know it's from you and Jesus walking together. then you see only one set and you're sad cuz it's when you had the most trial and you needed Him most. but that was when He carried you.
here's an updated version:
FOOTPRINTS...A New Version
Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For
much of the way, the Lord's 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 then 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 grow larger.
Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints
they have become one.
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 variable 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 is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.
"You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.
here's an updated version:
Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For
much of the way, the Lord's 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 then 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 grow larger.
Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints
they have become one.
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 variable 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 is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.
"You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.
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quotable quotes
-
"To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the
greatest hazard of life is to risk nothing. The person who risks
nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid
suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change,
grow, live, and love."
~unknown
"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."
~ Abraham Lincoln
"live a life that others will remember years from now, NOT because it pointed to you but because of how it pointed to the One who made you."
~ Mark Hart, the Bible Geek
"we grow up learning to become self-reliant, but really we need to be God-reliant"
"we could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box"
"never wound hearts that love u, never give them the endless pain, because wounded hearts are like roses that never bloom"
"there comes a time when we have to stop loving someone not because that person has stopped loving us but because we have found out that they'd be happier if we'd let go"
