FOOTSTEPS

So I know this is very quickly behind that last post, but something that has been going on for me over several months/the past year, came into focus this afternoon during one of our (almost) regular walks.

Have you ever heard it said “He will follow in his father’s footsteps”? (Substitute the he for a she and father for mother where it applies). Have you ever said it, has it ever been said over or about you? Quite possibly you could say yes to all three of those.

Have you ever thought about what it means to follow in another’s footsteps?

It doesn’t always apply to a parent but can be a mentor or a friend etc.

Of course it can have both positive and negative meanings depending on the path led by the person you are following. However, this is focused on the positive and is pre-supposing that the person or example that I am looking to follow is a positive one.

Now I would be deeply honoured to hear I am following in my father’s or my brother’s footsteps, people who apart from being my family are God centred individuals who I deeply admire.

Above all Earthly footsteps, family or otherwise, I want to strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, my pattern and my role model as a Christian.

But have you ever tried to literally walk in someone’s footsteps?

Today we took a walk on the beach, along with Forrest my daughter’s dog. As we walked along the sand I was left slightly behind my wife and daughter (I do not walk very quickly) and I was looking at the footprints my wife had left and I tried to step exactly where she had done so I was literally walking in her footsteps. It was not as easy as I had first thought it may be.

Julie’s stride pattern was shorter than mine, and so I had to adjust the steps I was taking, this felt awkward and I found it far more tiring than walking to my own pattern. And then it got worse for me as her direction had changed and she was walking through softer sand that I always find harder to walk in, but was made even more difficult by trying to match her step for step and stride for stride.

When we are asked to follow in the footsteps of Jesus we are not told that every step we take will be easy, simple or in the direction we are currently heading. We have to make changes, we have to learn to change and we have to be committed to staying with that change no matter how difficult so that we can stay following those footsteps laid down in front of us.

For some time now God has been teaching me a lesson or twenty. I am a person who likes to think I have everything pretty much sorted out and know what I am doing and where I am going. I like to think that I know what God would have me do.

But for me that means I often fall into my usual pattern. I will make difficult adjustments I will change the stride of my walk to fit His footsteps, but too soon the path He is taking me on gets difficult and I find I am walking through that softer sand, where it is heavier going, and all to quickly I will move over to an easier path, finding once again that familiar place known as my “comfort zone”.

So more recently He has been adjusting my thoughts, He has been teaching me to listen and assuring me that His destiny for me is something that cannot be achieved by doing the same as I have always done, by walking in the way I have always walked. I am learning to just take hold of the direction He is leading me, to grasp the opportunities He places in front of me to honour Him and He is teaching me to seek out His footsteps and place my feet where He has led me.

I am still learning and I pray that I will continue to listen to Him that I will continue to adjust my walk to be fully aligned to His.

How much are you willing to change the steps you are taking, to adjust your stride patterns so that the steps you take mirror the steps He has already taken?

Oh to have said “He is walking in His Heavenly Father’s footsteps”

God Bless You All