Footprints
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Footprints
One week after our son Chris died on September 15, 2017, our youngest son Nick came home from university in California with his friend Anna. Anna’s mother Nancy sent us the very meaningful gift (in photo above) to hang in our home as a constant reminder. ‘Footprints’ had been gifted to Nancy during a very difficult time in her life and it brought her great comfort. She hoped Footprints would comfort our family as much as it helped her.
I had seen the Footprints poem several times previously, but with the passing of our son, the promises in the poem would be severely tested. Would God really carry me in the coming weeks and months as I believe He did in that first whirlwind week? Would I continue to trust Him or would I turn on Him and blame Him for Chris’ death? How would I respond to the question “How could a ‘loving’ God allow such a horrible thing to happen?”. A few weeks later, my friend Paul shared an “Ask Pastor John” podcast that gave me the following message:
“Eat the fruit of sorrow, even if it is bitter. This fruit, that you can only eat during your grief, has nutrients in it that you can’t get any other way.” John Piper
I know now that God has carried Rose Mary and me for the past two and a half years since losing Chris. I can’t tell you why, but I can confirm that our relationship with God has become more intimate. Our faith has deepened over this time. I believe God has given us many people like YOU who have walked with us; talked with us; loved on us and we thank you! He has given us encounters with people whose words of wisdom and empathy not only comforted us, but has encouraged me to share these Living In Faith reflections that have helped me in my healing. As stated in the poem, God has kept his promise to Rose Mary and me and we continue to place our trust in Him.
Ultimately, I believe we are souls with an outer body which keeps everything together. While our physical bodies are slowly dying with each passing day, our souls can grow forever and never die. Most Sunday mornings I feed my soul, along with other imperfect people who desire to grow their souls. I also listen to spirit enriching podcasts and read life enhancing writings. For if we believe our soul will never die, then doesn’t it deserve to be fed and grown in preparation for an eternal life?
Epilogue: In the spring of 2019, we believed it was time to pass on the Footprints gift that we received from Nancy. Tragically, the niece of Nancy’s very close friend was accidentally murdered in a very unfortunate event. Our hearts go out to the entire family of this young woman and we hope the words in this poem will be as true for them as it has been for us.
One week after our son Chris died on September 15, 2017, our youngest son Nick came home from university in California with his friend Anna. Anna’s mother Nancy sent us the very meaningful gift (in photo above) to hang in our home as a constant reminder. ‘Footprints’ had been gifted to Nancy during a very difficult time in her life and it brought her great comfort. She hoped Footprints would comfort our family as much as it helped her.
I had seen the Footprints poem several times previously, but with the passing of our son, the promises in the poem would be severely tested. Would God really carry me in the coming weeks and months as I believe He did in that first whirlwind week? Would I continue to trust Him or would I turn on Him and blame Him for Chris’ death? How would I respond to the question “How could a ‘loving’ God allow such a horrible thing to happen?”. A few weeks later, my friend Paul shared an “Ask Pastor John” podcast that gave me the following message:
“Eat the fruit of sorrow, even if it is bitter. This fruit, that you can only eat during your grief, has nutrients in it that you can’t get any other way.” John Piper
I know now that God has carried Rose Mary and me for the past two and a half years since losing Chris. I can’t tell you why, but I can confirm that our relationship with God has become more intimate. Our faith has deepened over this time. I believe God has given us many people like YOU who have walked with us; talked with us; loved on us and we thank you! He has given us encounters with people whose words of wisdom and empathy not only comforted us, but has encouraged me to share these Living In Faith reflections that have helped me in my healing. As stated in the poem, God has kept his promise to Rose Mary and me and we continue to place our trust in Him.
Ultimately, I believe we are souls with an outer body which keeps everything together. While our physical bodies are slowly dying with each passing day, our souls can grow forever and never die. Most Sunday mornings I feed my soul, along with other imperfect people who desire to grow their souls. I also listen to spirit enriching podcasts and read life enhancing writings. For if we believe our soul will never die, then doesn’t it deserve to be fed and grown in preparation for an eternal life?
Epilogue: In the spring of 2019, we believed it was time to pass on the Footprints gift that we received from Nancy. Tragically, the niece of Nancy’s very close friend was accidentally murdered in a very unfortunate event. Our hearts go out to the entire family of this young woman and we hope the words in this poem will be as true for them as it has been for us.