Following in his/her footsteps...

[Originally written in January 2015 - but today I'm back in West Bend and reminded of this devotion that I sent out via email to a few folks back in January]

I’m in West Bend, Wisconsin right now.

There was about ¼ inch of snow overnight.

The light fluffy pretty stuff – like God wanted to powder sugar dust this part of the country.

On my run this morning I found myself following in someone’s footsteps.

That was helpful and comforting.

Someone had already gone down this road before.

Their footsteps were sure – not slipping or flailing around.

So I knew the ground was solid and not icy underneath.

But then I got to a point where they stopped.

Just around the river downtown.

I was now “on my own”.

Starting slowly – building confidence – moving faster as I found the ground was still solid.

I made my turns and started back – and found some more footsteps to follow.

They came and went depending on which street I turned onto.

I made it back to my destination safely!

Kind of like our lives

-          We start out helpless and follow in footsteps for the first two decades or so.

-          Then head out “on our own” – and sometimes wisely look for the footsteps that have gone before.  Sometimes…

-          And as we get older and wiser – we find that the footsteps that have gone before make life MUCH easier.

-          Sometimes we get older and wiser…

-          Sometimes we make it to our destination (not always the one we set out for, though).

Kind of like our spiritual lives

-          Led to the Lord by someone and growing “in knowledge and stature”.

-          Watching, learning, doing in our journey

-          Sometimes we think we’re “on our own”.  The training wheels are off.  Stand and deliver.

-          But in our spiritual walk with Jesus - we’re never on our own.

-          Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

-          Follow the footsteps of Jesus and you WILL get to the destination safely.

And of course – there is the famous “Footsteps” poem.

Wow that webpage is so retro.  (And so annoying with the mouse cursor footsteps…)

Lord,

Lead me, guide me.

Remind me to follow.

Amen.

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