When God carries us

“One night I dreamed…” It is the well-known introduction to a poem or phrase that we have read many times. Footprints go on to describe how the person's life flashes past and every time during the difficult times of his / her life there is only one row of footprints in the sand. This while there are usually two because God is accompanying us on the journey of life.

The question then arises why are there only one row of footprints in these difficult times? The answer indicates that these were the times God carried His child and therefore there is only one row of footprints.

It paints a beautiful picture of God's assistance and support in our lives and especially during the difficult times. After all, it is reassuring to know that God is there as we struggle through the difficult times in our lives.

On the other hand, the poem makes one wonder, because it doesn't really make sense. The well-known theologian, Stephan Joubert, once mentioned during a conversation that it is illogical to think that God picks us up when things are tough and just as easily puts us down and push us aside when things go well. When things get tough, He will patiently pick us up again. After all, it is not in God's nature to just let us go, because He loves us too much. If He would let us go then we would be in huge trouble, because if we are very honest with ourselves, we must admit that we cannot breathe without God.

God carries us 24 hours of every day. There is not a single moment He puts us down. In fact, our flashbacks of our entire life should show only one row of tracks. It should show God's footsteps all the time. No two rows of footprints, because He has never put us down. We are still held tightly by Him every day without any fears.

We are so inclined to blame God when life takes a few bad turns. We tend to rebel against God because, it is His fault that bad things happen to us. We instinctively think that God has left us. He put us down. He left us.

This is completely contrary to what the Bible says. Jesus repeatedly prepares His disciples for His death and resurrection, assuring them that He will not leave them alone. He will send a Helper who will be with them all the time. There are several other references in the Bible that confirm God that He will not leave us. He called us by our name. We are His. Our names are engraved in the palm of His hand. No one will be able to pluck us out of His hand. When we go through fire He will make sure that we do not scorch and flames do not burn us. Rivers will not wash us away.

He repeatedly affirms His faithfulness to us. We are usually the guilty party who let go of His hand. It's us who abandons the safety of His embrace. We are the ones who want to stubbornly follow our own and always draw on the short end. The end is usually that we blame God. Our first thought is that He left us alone. That He has indeed put us down. God did not carry us through life.

We may have to look at the poem again and think about whether or not it should be worded differently. Perhaps it should rather be said that the two rows of footsteps were the times we left God's arms. We may have to think that it may have been difficult times because we might have wandered away. If it wasn't because we strayed, it might just be lessons we had to learn in life to make us better and stronger people.

If God carries us, it is permanent without any interruptions. He never puts us down.