James Lewis Welch

                                                                       Footprints

One night a man had a dream. In it he was

walking along a 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 belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the final scene of his life flashed before him,

he looked back, at the footprints in the sand.

He notice many times along the path of his life

there was only one set of footprints, and realized

that they came at the hardest and saddest

time of his life.

Bothered about this, he questioned the Lord saying.

“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d

walk with me all the way

But I have notice that during the most burdensome

time in my life, there is only one set of footprints.

I don’t understand why when I needed you the most

you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My dear 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.”

Terri Gibbins and James Lewis Welch were married for 19 years.