Country Church Music - From the Heart

Greetings dear friends and family,

Endings and new beginnings, our lives are filled with them. I was reminded of that the other evening by our grandsons Mason and Andrew. They arrived here all excited to tell me that they each had passed their grade at school. They then went on to tell me who their teachers would be next fall and how they were going to meet them this week.

But sometimes the endings and new beginnings we may encounter can be difficult. The loss of a job and the beginning a new one can be overwhelming. Facing life after the death of a loved one is painful and often lonely. And the list goes on.

Endings and beginnings touch our lives in so many ways. But we never journey alone. As I have sat here pondering what to write next the words of a poem by Mary Stevenson came to mind. So I will let her words that so often speak to me, hopefully speak to you.

Footprints in the Sand

Last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.  “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, as we face our endings and new beginnings may we grow in faith and trust in you and that no matter what lies before us, you will journey with us. And that one day we will have a new beginning with you for all eternity. In your name we pray. Amen.

With love from the heart,

Diane