Christian Reflection and Prayer

The Footprints Prayer

One night I had a dream...

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene
I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to
me, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life
flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life, There was
only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest
times in my life This really bothered me, and I questioned the
Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way; But I have noticed that
during the most troublesome times in my life, There is only
one set of footprints. I don't understand why in times when I
needed you the most, you should leave me.

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and
I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and
suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then
that I carried you.

The two Amish girls, seven and 12 years old, were
watching the family's roadside farm stand in Oswegatchie,
New York. When a couple pulled up and invited them to
see their puppy, the girls jumped at the opportunity.

They went to look at the puppy, and then they
disappeared. They disappeared for an entire day.

Eventually, the girls showed up at the home of Jeffrey
and Pamela Stinson, a couple who live about 15 miles
from the spot from which the girls had been kidnapped.
The cold, wet, hungry girls ate a small watermelon and
then asked to be taken home.

The Stinsons debated about getting the police involved,
but then thought it best to honor the girls' request.
Thinking back, Jeffrey Stinson explained: "We never
gave it any thought about implications or dangers. We
knew those girls had to get home." And home those
girls went: home to joy, tears and welcoming arms.

And that, my friends, usually would be the end of the story.

It isn't. You see, the grateful Amish family heard the
Stinson's garage had burned down while they were on
vacation. Wishing to show their gratitude in a tangible form,
the family promised to give the Stinsons a "garage raising.
" For those of you who don't know, a garage raising is like
a barn raising, but smaller.

And so it was, the two girls who had been kidnapped, their
11 brothers and sisters, their parents, grandparents, and
relatives all came together and a garage went up at the
Stinson home. A garage is there, a visible token of
appreciation for an act of kindness.

Our nation has been shocked by the footage of football star
Ray Rice knocking his now-wife Janay out cold in an elevator.
What most people still don’t realize is that this kind of abuse
is far too common and almost never talked about.

Rather than taking the opportunity to raise awareness about
domestic and sexual violence, “Fox and Friends” chose to
mock and blame the victim. The news hosts criticized victims
by saying they were “sending a terrible message” by staying
with their abusers and joked that women should simply “take
the stairs.”

Fox News is taking time on their show to mock and criticize
victims of domestic violence. As Christians, let’s send a
message that we want to see Fox News support women,
not degrade them.

News outlets in America need to do their part to spread the
message that abuse and domestic violence are WRONG.
But when Fox News makes jokes about the abuse that
Janay Rice experienced, they are sending the opposite
message: violence against women is a great punchline.

Abuse of women is not a laughing matter. Click here to
tell Fox News to run an honest segment about violence
against women.

Scripture tells us that Jesus cared for women who were
downtrodden by society and abused by their
contemporaries. Let’s remind Fox News that Jesus’
example should compel us to show love to women
who have been abused.

In faith,
Beau, Janelle, and the rest of the Sojourners team