Footprints

I was in church this past weekend and the Pastor made a statement that really caught me.  He said "people will enter your life, and might quietly leave.  They will leave footprints on your heart.  Some big.  Some small.  Others will stay a life time and leave the prints that matter."

We know the "Footprints" piece where the person asks Jesus about the one set of prints.  Jesus carried that person during those moments and left only His prints.

What prints are we leaving in the lives of the people we love?  Are we walking with them hand in hand, proving encouragement and direction and strength and support?  When we see our loved ones struggling with something do we try and help them find a solution?  Are we empathetic and loving and offer them an understanding shoulder?  There are often times our loved ones struggle in areas that we flat out do not agree with.  They do things we disapprove of.  Or they believe things in their hearts that we do not agree with.  In those times do we work to move them toward resolution?  Do we take a moment and say something to the effect "I do not agree with your thinking, or your decisions, or your actions, but I am going to love you through this"  Those are the footprints on their heart that they can look back on and smile because they know we went above and beyond to love them unconditionally.

What about the footprints that stomp hope and happiness from our relationship with them.  Do you ever wonder why you make the decisions you make in those moments?  I remember feeling so very betrayed by one of my children one day and openly venting about the decisions.  I had no idea he was down the hall and heard me.  Even though I was right, I was was wrong.  I hurt him.  I saw it in his eyes when he confronted me moments later.  I knew damage was done.  Damage that might take years to repair, if ever.  I regret making such a poor decision in that moment of hurt.  Are there decisions you made in a moment of uncertainty or hurt or confusion that you wish you could take back?  I have so many. 

I want the footprints I leave to be ones framed with love.  Even for those that have come and gone in my life.  Those momentary relationships with friends that were for a season.  I want them to think of me some days and say "Ya he was a great guy.  I miss that one."  I want the people I love to be at my grave many many MANY years down the road and tell stories of things I did to show them uncompromising unyielding unfailing unquestionable love. 

I want to leave big footprints.