Mary Stevenson was a woman too familiar with pain. At age 6 she lost her mother, leaving her father to raise all his eight children by himself during the time of the Great Depression, one of the most difficult periods of American history, where millions lost their jobs and plunged into poverty.  It was then in her early teens that Mary wrote a poem, that became known as the Footprints in the Sand,

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So, I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed You, You would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods
of my life, there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, You have not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you.”

Mary’s pain didn’t stop after she wrote this poem; she’s married to a man who abused her, requiring her to run. To support herself she had to work as a dancer.  But in the end life turned for the better; she’s married to a loving man and together they raised a family. We can identify with her, can’t we?  There are moments when we can see God’s footprints walking along side, but there are moments when we cannot see His footprints.  Don’t panic; He’s carrying us!

Pastor Paul