Footprints in the Sand

She walks along the sandy beach
her footprints on the shore
Oblivious to whatever life may bring,
and dreams she wishes for ~
The innocence of her carefree youth
as she builds within the sand
Castles rich in plentitude
a life she dreams so grand.

She cannot perceive anything else
beyond what she already knows
Safe within the comfort
and calm sweet overflow ~
Rich in love and happiness
a life of harmony
Cherished there forever
in familiar reveries.

Smitten by girlish fantasies
she is completely unaware
Of a guiding hand upon her life
watching with great care ~
He sees her every wishful thought
of what she hopes to be
Someday when she's older
in her own castle of dreams.

Looking from the heavens
to the child on the shore
For this life so young and innocent
He knows what lay in store ~
He cannot change what is to come
though He'll always be there
Walking right beside her
when life turns to despair.

Life doesn't stay so innocent
or blissfully carefree
Someday we must all grow up
into a world of reality ~
It's sad to see the castles
that once held girlish dreams
Will vanish into faded times
of childhood memories.

But still there are the footprints
left upon the sand
That follow through our path in life
though we do not understand ~
And why is it that when times get tough
they somehow disappear?
For it's been the same since the days
of childhood every year.

Then as she pauses to reflect
God speaks into her heart
He tells her that where she has been
He has never been too far ~
The footprints she left on the sand
from her childhood days
Were followed by His own path,
for He was never far away.

She asked him "Lord, why did You leave
when I felt such despair?
Did You not love me enough
to show how much You care?"
He reached out His hand to her, and said
"My child, I never did leave you,
For when there were one set of prints
it was then that I carried you."

Smiling, He touched her with His grace
as she plays upon the shore
Oblivious still of what may come
embraced forevermore ~
In His everlasting love
as He guides her with His hand
He gently walks beside her
and her footprints in the sand.

"This poem is a lovely reflection of a little girl with her own dreams of life, as she builds castles in the sand. She dreams of what life would be like if she lived in those castles she built. But the essence of the poem is about the One who watches over her as she dreams, as she builds, as she hopes and wishes....He knows everything about her, and He knows what the future holds for her. Although she is oblivious to any other life but the one she lives right now, still she dreams. Then we jump forward to see that life is not the bed of roses she had envisioned as a child. But God walks beside her even amidst her despair....the footprints she left in life from childhood are followed by Him. But when things get tough, there are only one set of prints, and she wonders why.... It is then that He carries her. Still oblivious to anything else but life right now, she continues to play in the sand while He touches her with His grace, envelopes her with His everlasting love, guides her with His hand, watches over her....and continues to walk beside her and her footprints in the sand. Though as a child we have our dreams for our life but when we get older, we soon discover that life doesn't always go according to our plans. The dreams we may once have had maybe shattered or destroyed, they may disappear or are clouded by the pains of reality. No longer is life a castle that we used to build on the beach, and no longer is life so carefree. But one thing remains the same through it all....and that is God's love for us. He never leaves us or forsakes us, and He walks beside us throughout our life. And beside us are His footprints in the sand."

This poem was inspired by this painting, as a child's guide through life, and is not meant to be my own rendition of the famous "Footprints". Though I do reflect upon it, the entire poem came from this painting. For God's footprints are beside us each step of the way through life....and that being the essence of my poem.