Footprints.

Unless you're in Christian circles, nobody is going to say "Oh, I really like your cross necklace!" because a cross implies 'I am a Christian, so you don't have to ask'. A cross necklace isn't really an instrument for starting discussion, rather, in non-Christian circles, it seems to be a discussion-stopper and discourages some to bring up the subject of religion due to expectations of what might be said by the cross-wearer.

For graduation my dearest got me a round necklace that features a sunset scene and on the back it says "it was then that I carried you". It is referencing a famous poem called "Footprints in the Sand", which you might have read before.

This morning at Borders the checkout lady casually said, "Oh, I really like your necklace."
"Thanks," I said, "it was a graduation present." I waited, but knew I had to explain more. "See, it's from a poem, and God and a man are walking together, and at the end of the walk the man turns around and sees that through the hardest times in life the sand has only one set of footprints. When he asks God why he abandoned him during the worst times God tells him that he didn't abandon him, he carried him. And that's what's written on the back."
"Huh," the girl said.

I wouldn't have gotten the same opportunity had my necklace been a simple cross. Sometimes a little subtelty goes a long way.


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 belonging 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 of his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is
Only one set of footprints.
I don't 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."


--E.A.