As I Live and LearnBack   to   My   Universe

"Sets of Footprints"


      Once there was a girl who had spent many years wanting to be, trying to
be, and acting as an adult. When she finally was no longer a young adult but
had passed into adulthood, she paused to look back on her life. Scenes of
her life flashed through her mind, and in each memory she saw that footprints
had been left behind. At first she was happy to see that the three sets of
footprints in her memories were left behind by God, herself and her best friend.
But then she noticed that in some memories there were only two sets of
footprints, and in a scarce few there was only one set. This troubled her deeply.
She turned to God and her best friend as they looked back on her life with her
and questioned each of them.
      "God," she said. "You told me that if I believed in you and followed
you, then you would walk beside me on my journey."
      "And you," she said as she turned to her best friend. "You said you
would always be there for me and never leave me."
      "This is true," they answered in unison.
      "Then why is it that in some of my worst moments one of you left me, and
during my lowest and most troublesome times you both left me?" she asked
confused and hurt.
      "That is not true," they said together.
      "But look at how many sets of footprints there are in my memories!" she
exclaimed as she pointed to those scenes of her childhood and young adult life.
      God responded first saying, "We did not desert you. In those moments
when you were troubled and there are only two sets of footprints, those were the
times when either I or your friend carried you."
      And the woman's best friend finished, "And in your lowest, worst moments
when you only see one set of footprints, those were the times when I shared
your hardships and felt so deeply for you that they became my most troublesome
moments too, and God carried us both."

      Amy, this is how I truely feel. I know that you already know this, but I
still just needed to turn those feelings into words. You are my best friend,
and always will be. I don't know what I'd do without you. Happy
Valentine's Day! -Jen