The Belly Laugh of a Child

As a warm up, please read the following poem by Mary Stevenson:

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 in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

I've known this poem since childhood.  Perhaps you have too.  It touched my life back then and it continues to touch my life today.  The mental imagery offers so much peace, comfort, and understanding.  How wonderful to know that we are carried safely in the arms of the Lord when we suffer from anguish, sorrow, or defeat.  I do not want to take away from the power of this poem, but I do want to invite you to consider a different understanding of the poem and a different understanding of those same footprints in the sand.  The alternate view I will present could be a challenging one for you, but I want you to at least give it a try.

So please proceed to read my thoughts with caution and, who knows, you may even have some fun in seeing how the Lord could decide to carry us in our storms of life.

May you experience peace in your journey along life’s sandy shore.  And may your hardships be met with the Lord’s direction and the hearty belly laugh of a child.

Seat-belts fastened?  Let’s go!

Carrie and I were enjoying our lunch last weekend at the Seattle airport.  The area was abundantly ripe for people watchin’.  I have trouble thinking of a better place to be if someone wants to pass their time watching people.  At the airport, people come in all ages, attire, and hairstyles … even no hairstyles.  There’s quite a bit for the eyes to see.

During my visual harvesting, I glanced over and noticed a young family that was beginning to gather their suitcases together.  They placed their leftover food scraps and ketchup smeared wrappers onto a tray and they shuttled it to a nearby trash can.  The father then reached down with both hands and hoisted his young son over his head and placed junior comfortably on his sturdy shoulders.  Then away they went to meet their plane.  The dad was smiling and knew exactly where he was headed.  The son was carefree and let out a contagious belly laugh.  You know that sound, right?  The boy was enjoying the ride, taking in the view, and assured that his daddy was in full control of their destination.

He was saved.

So that got me to thinking …

When I was younger, the Footprints in the Sand poem gave me a mental image of the Lord carrying me in His arms.  It was comforting.  It was reassuring.  I saw myself as an exhausted and tattered warrior carried in the arms of the Lord.  In my younger years, I would wave my right arm in a forward motion and instruct Jesus to follow me as I went into battle for Him.  He was always there to pick me up, be my shelter, and carry me when the storms of life beat me up.  And there was one set of footprints in the sand.

As I’ve grown older, it seems my walk with the Lord has taken the two us further down the shoreline along that same beach.  The mental imagery of the poem is decidedly different for me now.  I don’t feel like a warrior so much anymore, but rather, I feel more like a big kid with a belly laugh.  I trust Him.  I feel safe releasing the worries of this life over to Him.  As time passes on, I’ve gradually become more and more like a carefree child of God.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14

Today, the Footprints in the Sand poem has taken on a new mental image for me.  He calls out to me with love and I no longer lead, but willingly follow in His footprints.  When the trials and storms of life roll in, I find that I approach it much differently.  I see myself as a child that runs into the waiting arms of his Father.  I can feel His nail pierced hands hoist me over His head and place me comfortably on His sturdy shoulders.  I can hear myself let out a contagious belly laugh as I enjoy the ride, take in the view, and know that my Daddy is in full control of our destination.

I am saved.

And there is one set of footprints in the sand.