Emmy’s Footprints Poem

I was not a happy person when I started to write this poem. Though I don’t remember exactly why I was so upset, it had to do with me being in trouble, and then being sent on a walk down the white sand of Siesta Key, Florida (where we were living at the time.) As I was walking back home, I noticed the way that the waves were lapping away the footprints that had drawn too close to the water’s edge. And the way that certain footprints went in a straight line, following the path of the water, while others would head toward the water and disappear under the white foam just to magically reappear a few yards ahead. This got me thinking of how our walk with God is quite a bit like these footprints; God’s the straight, ours, the wandering. He is a wonderful example of who we need to be, but we are constantly being submerged by the ‘waves’ of the world. As I was walking along, admiring the beach, the first stanzas of this poem started forming in my mind. This was truly a miracle, because, for those of you who know me, I am not a writer. When I got home I quickly rushed to the computer to write down what I had thought up on that walk and this is what came…

A Friend’s Footprints

You see in the white sand that glistens from sun,

a path of small footprints but then there are none,

the path wavers through the frothy shore,

that extends out from the ocean behold,

you follow this path along for some time,

it wavers and waltzes never in a straight line.

But then, out of nowhere a second one joins,

it leads the path straight, safely and sure.

One is big one is small,

and all through it all,

the large footprint never absconds from the small.

Then you look up and soon you see,

that there is only one person,

that person to be,

a small little girl,

10 years of age,

she is talking and gabbing,

but no one is there.

So you run up and ask her,

“Is there anyone here?”

her reply is simple and straight from the heart,

“I’ve been walking with Jesus since the large footprints start”

Now it all makes sense,

she was a wondering soul,

but then Jesus came and helped her through it all,

picked her up when the sharp shells got in her way,

and wrapped her up tightly and said, “It’s OK”

Life is like a walk and you choose how it goes,

you can wander and waver,

but all through it all,

the best way to get along is with the All in All,

Jesus, our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.

He will stand with us all through the end.

If you can find friends that will stick by your side,

and ones that will help you every time you are tried.

They will lead you straight and guide you sure,

Just like Jesus did for that little girl.

 

For Emmy:

Creativity, relationship building, faith and navigating the stress and challenges of growing up. You will want to watch Emmy’s Betweentime TV story and the impacting music video that was the outcome of her troubled walk on the beach. Episode #6 “Best Friend of All” https://betweentime.org/product/ep6/