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 parallelingHis 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.