Footprints in the Snow
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19
It seems to snow here every single day! Beautiful yes but getting to be an annoyance as it takes time to scrap off the icy snow each bitter-cold morning in the dark. I can entertain myself by looking at all the footprints in the snow. Deer, the neighbors’ cats, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and a few other critters all seem to have found their way to the back porch.
My heart aches for them in this bone-chilling cold but I must believe that God provides a protective winter coat for them to wear, as well as food, water, and shelter. He takes care of His creatures in ways we will never know.
This started me thinking about how He comforts, strengthens, walks beside us, and sometimes even carries us when our burdens are too heavy to endure. How did we fall into such a condition in the first place? Did we let things go too long before we hurried to the foot of the cross? Did we think we could make sense of a difficult situation and handle it by ourselves? When things turned from bad to worse, did we finally waive the white tattered flag of surrender before our knees hit the floor? We are not the best burden bearer. He is!
While I know the animals do not pray, I am convinced that He hears their tummies rumble. Perhaps thinking about mankind might be more appropriate. The needs are so many and there simply not enough helpers in this world. But if each of us did a little bit, wouldn’t that be a step in the right direction? Eventually, wouldn’t we make progress?
So, if you were looking for footprints in the snow, where would yours be found? Would your steps lead to the food bank, God’s Soup Kitchen, preparing meals for the sick or elderly, providing transportation to medical appointments, etc.? Or is it just too snowy, cold, and windy to pass out blankets to the homeless?
Just saying! Our footprints tell others everything they need to know about us—where we have been and where we are headed.
Loving Lord, thank You for being willing to carry our burdens. Teach us to come to You before things get out of control. Help us to remember that we are all Your creatures. AMEN.