Footprints On The Sands Of Time!

I enjoy a variety of places in which to walk in and around our community. When walking on one of the beaches in our area I find it interesting to notice the variations of footprints in the sand. It can even be fun to try to FOLLOW IN THEM. The sizes of print and length of stride help tell the difference between the print of a child and that of an adult.
Sand kicked forward of the print or just the print of the toe of the shoe are sometimes indications of someone having been running instead of walking.
Perhaps we might note prints indicating a child’s hopping or skipping or even playfully twirling across the beach. We may even see prints indicating a running toward and then a retreating from the incoming waves. And I am sure print experts can tell a lot more, including the weight of individuals.

Note three quotations regarding the leaving of foot prints which I came across some time ago, but looked up again today.

“Most footprints on the sands of time were made by work shoes.”
“In the footprints on the sands of time, some people leave only the mark of a heel.”
“If we can’t leave our footprints on the sands of time, we can at least keep them out of the police files.”
[source: “1600 Squibs And Quips”, compiled by E. C.
McKenzie.]

As we move along through the “sands of time” what kind of PRINTS are we leaving in our path. What do they convey about our life and how we are traveling through it. Are they rushed? Are they playful? Are they panicked?
Are they leading others in a good direction? Are they following in the steps of another worth following?

In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he referred to the footprints of Abraham.
“and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but WHO ALSO WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAITH that our father ABRAHAM HAD before he was circumcised.” ( Romans 4:12 ESV)

The Greek translated “footsteps” here is “ichnesin”, from “ichnos” which (according to Strong’s Lexicon) refers to a footprint, track, or footstep and is used metaphorically in the New Testament for imitating the example of another. This same word is used in 1 Peter 2:21 for us walking in the steps of the example of Jesus. He left the prints of which we are TO FOLLOW IN. How well are we FOLLOWING in the footprints of the faith of Abraham? How much are we striving to continue FOLLOWING in the footprints of Jesus. Are we willing to FOLLOW wherever they go? Certainly their shoes may be seen as too big to fill. However, we can still step into the prints they have left and FOLLOW in them. We might have room to put both our feet into each print, but what better place to plant our feet than in the footprints they have been left for us to FOLLOW in. May we remain determined to continue walking in them, marking the way for others also as we go.

Have a great day LEAVING PRINTS OF FAITH ALONG THE WAY!
Carl

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