Are there times in your lives when it appeared that during the worst moments, the Lord was not hearing your prayers? The poem titled “Footprints in the Sand” will allow me to share this story with you, and this parable will allow me to refresh your memory.
The poem, purportedly written by Margaret Fishback Powers, goes like this:
One night I dreamed a dream. As I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed you the most, you would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you.”
Remember the words spoken by Jesus when He was on the cross! In Mark 15:34, this statement in Aramaic is spoken by Jesus just before he dies on the cross: “Eli, Eli, Lema Sabathani?” That roughly translates to, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Another excellent example is the oak tree. Where does this tree come from? It doesn’t suddenly appear! It begins with the acorn, which is planted; then it takes time, maybe about four to six weeks before any sprouts begin to shoot out, deep inside the earth. Then after some quiet time, like a baby in the mother’s womb, some new shoots from the oak tree finally shoot out above the ground, and a tiny, new, fragile, fresh little plant, so easily broken, will appear.
When we’ve lost all hope of making something happen with our own strength, and during our times of silence, we gain clarity and a willing spirit to be led by the Holy Spirit, as He guides us to a successful conclusion. Embrace the silence times and use that time wisely.
Trust God, especially when it appears that He’s silent. It is during this time when He speaks more clearly into your Spirit, but you must quiet down your life so you can hear. God allowed His Son to go through the crucifixion. Why, this was Jesus’ time to feel He, too, was forsaken — a clear indication we must go through periods in our own lives when God is silent. Trust and believe in Him, and allow Him to do His perfect work — silence is golden!
Romans 8:28 says, “And I know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, and who are the called according to His purpose.” This Scripture reminds us that during even our worst times, He is still working. This Scripture says ALL things work together for good. That includes those things that are not so good.
There comes a time when something bad happens, and it snaps us into action faster than any other time. It took that hard period to cause you to grow the way a butterfly does while going through metamorphosis. The procrastination is gone. This thing you’ve been planning to do is about to be born. During this storm, God gave life to a seed you had been carrying. When it’s born, you will be on a new journey, one in which you will continue to grow.
God was silent for quite a while in my life, but one day He began to reveal what I needed to do. He will reveal what you must do as well.
Obey His word, and don’t allow hunches to pass you by as if it was only a thought. How else do you think these higher powers communicate with us, whether it is the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Source, or Universe? It is that hunch, that idea. Don’t allow it to die.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on Twitter @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.