Footprints

Man, oh man! Am I ever sore today! I think it it’s a combination of factors; the drive to LA on Friday and back on Saturday, 5 full hours of yard work on Sunday (after Mass, of course!) and the drive to Bakersfield that evening. Then I moved a lot of trucks and trailers yesterday in Bakersfield improving the display for better transactions (I hope). I left there yesterday evening about 6 pm and drove to Fresno, so I can do the same at one of the centers here today. I had a restless sleep last night because of the pain in my muscles, so I got up pretty early and read the readings for Mass to prepare for the day and look for some kind of message to tell me it will be OK.


The readings begin today with a prophecy from Zephaniah who condemns the city (Jerusalem) for all of her evil deeds. But he follows with a prophecy of redemption and how God will cleanse the people and they will come to call on Him from the far reaches of the earth.

We then hear our Lord confront and condemn the Pharisees and how the Lord follows by telling the Pharisees that they completely missed what John the Baptist had preached and, as a result, sinners were entering the kingdom before them.

Many times in our lives we can take the path away from God. We make a wrong turn by the decisions we make. It seems that we only grow further and further away from our God. Sometimes it seems as though we may never get back and we will lose our important relationship forever. But we need not worry. God is here to protect us and give us second chances. He allows us to come back to him and He accepts us with open arms. He says we need not be ashamed of our deeds, because He will remove the damage they have done to us. He gives us His unconditional love and permits us to test the boundaries of His love, but always allows us the opportunity to come back and live in His love once again.

Oftentimes, when in pain or sorrow we feel as though God has left us for good. The truth is God never leaves us. Even in our darkest days when we think that nothing will ever get better, and we have lost His love forever, He is still there. Remember the poem “Footprints in the Sand” where a man is walking on a beach with God? He looks back on his life and the footsteps and sees two sets for most of his life, but at times, he only sees one set. He realizes that the times he sees only one set were in his darkest days. He turns to God and asks Him “Why, when I needed you most, did you leave me?” God simply replies that the times he speaks of, the darkest times in his life, were when He carried him. We must understand that God is always with us, even if it feels like He may have abandoned us. He is always right there beside us, or carrying us on our way.

After reading and reflecting on the readings today, I suddenly feel like I’m being carried. I just have to remember to unite my pain and discomfort today with His Passion and trust that it is being put to good use, converting sinners to Himself.