Have you ever read the story of the Footprints in the Sand? It’s one of my very favorites. I think of it often and, in fact, it is the inspiration for GraceBought’s original design. Here’s how it goes:
“One night I dreamed a dream.
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.
When the last scene of my life shot before me
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path
There was only one set of footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest
And saddest times of my life.
This always bothered me and
I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.
“Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You,
You would walk and talk with me all the way.
But I’m aware that during the
Most troublesome times of my life
There is only one set of footprints.
I just don’t understand why,
When I needed you 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.”
Cue tears and sniffling! Okay, maybe not, but you’ve got to admit it’s a sweet poem. (Poem, story, whatever it is. I never can tell.) How’s that for surprise ending? Just when you begin to despair, just when the disappointment and betrayal begin to set in, it turns out that you were never alone after all.
Well, you may or may not believe that there is a God who is carrying you through life’s storms, but even if you do, have you ever felt alone? Have you ever felt so completely and utterly alone in this world? No friends to turn to, no family to rely on, not even an acquaintance or coworker you could trust.
I believe we’re creatures of community. We’re meant to be in relationship with one another. And when we don’t have that? We get really lonely. Have you ever felt alone standing in a crowded room? I have. Have you ever felt companionship in a deserted room? I’ve been there too.
It may be hard to understand on the surface, but they aren’t really trick questions. I’m a wallflower, an introvert. I don’t really do well with meeting new people. I tend to stand back and watch things unfold rather than instigate the unfolding. But, sometimes, it gets lonely watching others. People look right past me a lot of the time, and it isn’t always easy to swallow. It’s an odd feeling, standing in the middle of crowded room, but feeling so alone that the physical bodies around you mean nothing. That’s a loneliness deep inside, a craving for true companionship with others.
Sometimes situations in life make us feel that way. Everyone around us, even those who do care, can’t always be there for us. They have their own lives to live. Maybe your world is falling apart around you and you have no one to turn to for comfort or advice. I pray you never find yourself so alone that you despair and give up hope. But when you feel it starting to creep in, know this: He carries us through the storms. There is always someone who cares. Someone out there loves you, even if you’ve never met them. There are people out there who care about YOU! So, you are not alone. And you don’t have to believe in God to know that.
For those of us who do know God, we have a last line of defense against that dark, lonely trap. Even when no one else is around, even in a completely empty place, we know God is all around us. I see Him in the earth around me. I see Him in the sunset and in the waterfalls. I see Him in sunlight and in the starry, night sky. I hear Him by the river and near the ocean. I feel Him in the mountains. He’s as real to me as any human around me. I can’t touch Him, no, and I see no physical form. I’ve never heard an audible voice, but I have felt a stirring in my very being, in my spirit, that I can explain no other way. I’ve heard a whisper in the back of my mind and I’ve had far too many “coincidences” to believe in anything but divine intervention.
That said, it can still be difficult to be alone. Even knowing God is “always there” can’t abate the lonely feelings sometimes. At least for me, I never feel hopeless and when I remember God is by my side, it does help, but even I crave human interaction. I believe we all do. That’s how we were created.
But when I’ve been at my lowest, when I’ve felt there was nowhere left to run, God has been the only one to get me through. I have been in a place where I have felt so much joy, so much love, and so much peace that I could not contain it. My heart has soared in moments when it should have shattered. I’ve heard my spirit sing at times when there was no cause for such celebration and in those moments, I know, I am never alone.
The pain is still there, the hurt, deception, fear, and grief still roil inside me, but they cannot claim me. As long as I know, without a doubt, that I am never alone, then the evils of this world can never claim me. Nothing can steal my hope as long as I believe I am not alone. And hope is the most powerful tool of all.
What would happen if instead of turning to God as a last resort, we turned to Him first? We’d probably save ourselves a lot of heartache and certainly build up those spiritual muscles! What gives you hope? When you feel alone, how do you handle it? What do you do when you are at rock bottom? How do you bounce back? Leave me a note and let me know! As for me, my God is for me, so what can possibly stand against? I am never alone. And neither are you.
Love always,
Coralie