I was working in the garden when Lauren and Emily came squealing and running across the lawn to see what I was doing.  They love to help me work in my yard picking up sticks, pulling weeds, hauling mulch or whatever I happen to be doing at the moment.  They wanted to help me plant.  I heard myself hesitate a moment as I contemplated my answer.   Could they do the job?  Planting is different than picking up sticks.  Each seed must be laid at certain intervals and covered with just the right amount of dirt.   I showed the girls how to place each seed and they excitedly tackled the challenge.  As they spaced the beans and corn in the row,  I covered the seeds with soft dirt.  As we worked we talked and sang.

Suddenly Lauren said, “Grandma, I am walking in your footsteps.”  My feet had made deep impressions in the soft dirt and Lauren was getting great enjoyment in trying to step in my tracks as we worked our way down the row.  Coming back she tried to walk backwards in my steps.  “Grandma, this is hard.” 

It is not easy to walk in someone else’s footsteps.  It means you walk just like they walked, stride for stride.   To walk in someone’s  footprints  means you focus on the step instead of the path.

We had a little chat about following Jesus and walking in His footprints.  To walk in Jesus’ footprints keeps one on the path.  To walk with Jesus may sometimes seem hard.  “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

Jesus invited Matthew the tax collector,  “follow me” (Matt. 9:9) and he did.

By Pat Hertzler, May 13, 2007