The dog days of summer are now upon us. The heat becomes unbearable, the humidity wears us down and we feel that we cannot muster up enough energy to make it through another day. Every chore becomes a monumental task. Yet we push on, we move forward, somehow, someway.
The same can be said about living out our faith. We have periods of time where everything is going our way, and nothing can stop us. God is on our side, so we feel invincible. However, we sometimes face different periods of time in our lives, a type of dog days of summer. Everything we do and everything we touch just drains the energy right out of us. We feel like God has abandoned us and we are here to face the dog days of summer alone. Yet we push on, we move forward. How? Through the power of prayer. Sometimes when I feel like this I turn to one of my favorite prayers, Footprints.
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him, and he 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 time in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I do not understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The LORD replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
May we remember that God never abandons us when we need Him the most and that He carries us when we turn to Him in prayer.
God bless,
John G. Napoli
