Almost everyone has seen, heard or read the famous anonymous poem entitled “Footprints in the Sand” in which a man always sees two sets of footprints in the sand as he walks with the Lord, except when he is going through hard times. On those dark times, he only sees the footprints of the Savior that carries him.
Lately, I have been following the footprints of my oldest son Daniel, as we walk, not on the sands of Florida, but in the snow covered streets of Omaha, Nebraska. My latest “adventure” with my sons has taken me now to this place, which is usually very nice, except in the middle of a frigid, snowy, frozen, cold and stormy winter season.
The next time I hear the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” I will break that radio! Whoever wrote that famous melody wasn’t freezing like I have been in this past week. Every time I walk in the snow, I get frostbite on my feet and I look like a bona fide terrorist or bank robber, because I have to cover my face just to open the door.
One of the ways in which I have tried to minimize the damage, is to literally walk on the footprints left by my son. As he walks before me, he displaces most of the snow and I am able to walk more comfortably and safely.
This reminds me of a few Bible verses.
1 Peter 2:21 declares: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.”
As we follow Christ in this world, we will encounter persecutions and endure trials far worse than my snowy adventures. Following His footprints assures us of two things: First, that He is with us every day and in every situation (Matthew 28:20); and secondly, that our burdens and sufferings will be lighter (Matthew 11:20).
The best way to avoid many pitfalls in this life is to follow Jesus. We must place our feet directly on top of his “footprints” or teachings to walk on the solid ground of the Gospel. In addition to this, we must follow Paul’s advice about wearing the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) including: “….having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”
To walk in the snow, you need a pair of good waterproof boots (which my benevolent son quickly provided) and to follow Jesus we need to wear the gospel shoes and to walk in His steps every day.
Alexander Gonzalez
