When life gets hard, Jesus holds us, carries us, and leaves His footprints so we will know He has been here. The picture in my hands captured a quiet, secluded beach cove, pristine, untouched sand engaged only by the likewise quiet waves lapping at the shoreline. The green of the bordering palm trees intensified the beauty of the scene, but what captured me the most was the untouched sand. No one had been there, and yet observing the scene, it was like seeing God’s hand open and welcoming, waiting for the one who needed to be held and carried, and the words of the poem silently spoke. You promised me, Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. And my heart literally saw within the picture, footprints pressed into the sand, just a single set, and my heart felt the promise once again, My child, when you most need me, I carry you and hold you close to my breast. I am with you. I do the walking. I give the grace.
Cynthia Heald, gifted author and speaker, shares biblical truth in her studies for women in profound, life changing ways. We were just starting her study entitled, “Becoming a Woman Whose God is Enough.” The lesson I was teaching reminded us that the needs in our lives are often the place of my coming to know God more fully, more completely, more adequately than I did before. I have realized that whatever the need, however God will choose to meet me in that need, my answer is always found with Him. That gives potential to my need, even if the need is painful or confusing or very, very threatening. That given potential is that my need has the capacity to draw me to my God, to realize the cries and the whispers He wants to hear, and to enlarge my open heart of trust to fully believe He will and He does carry me, and He leaves His footprints so I will know He has been with me. As I taught, I reflected on the “much” God has done for me, and the passion for our group to own the truth of His sufficiency was evident.
What happened later, I hadn’t expected, but then, rarely do we see the need before we already are in the midst of it. The need was just words, but they were words that gave uncertainty, words that created questions, questions that longed for answers that would probably be awhile before they came. That necessitated waiting. And I knew too they were words that demanded a willingness and a desire on my part to know what God wanted, and how He wanted it all to be shaped and lived out. Suddenly, the plan-it-out-and-follow-the-plan me didn’t even know what the plan was. I had even talked about that in my lesson, about being a woman who can fearfully, but boldly, proclaim, “I will survive.” And how many times has God reminded me that is it not my resources that bring survival, not my astute thinking that finds the answers, but God and God alone is the one who holds and gives the answers? And then I cried for His arms to hold me, to carry me close to His breast, to quiet the emotions, and give me the grace to walk one day at a time and to listen for His voice of guidance and provision. God is enough.
And I am already seeing the footprints..........................
– Bev
(Related Bible reading: Isaiah 40:11; Psalm 23:1; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13)
