One morning after it’d snowed overnight, my older sister and I were getting ready to walk to school. Hats, boots, gloves, scarves…much of which we’d take off once we were out of Mom’s sight because cool kids don’t wear hats and gloves. The snow was deep. Plowing and shoveling hadn’t been done just yet in our neighborhood. My mother commissioned my sister to watch over me as we walked to school. Then she told me to be sure to walk in my sister’s footsteps to help me navigate my way through the snow.
My sister was at that age where lugging her little sister around wasn’t considered cool. Typical sibling relationships. Her answer to my mother’s directive was to make sure those footsteps were as wild as she could make them. She pointed her feet inwards, and she pointed her feet outwards. She took super huge steps and walked in a zigzag. Anything to make it hard for me to follow. Again, typical sibling relationship stuff. I fought hard to keep up with her and she laughed watching me mimic her unusual walking pattern.
We laugh about it now as we’re older and wiser. We share a home where she is my best friend, my fellow prayer warrior and one of my favorite people on this planet. I still think she’s cool.
Recently, I’ve been marinating on that word “follow” during my morning Bible study. Following Jesus and what all it means. As a natural over-thinker, I’ve wasted a lot of time looking for the perfect answer.
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
Following Jesus isn’t about my ability. It’s also not about being perfect. In fact, God keeps telling me to stop focusing on perfection. Just take one step and then the next and the next. When I asked where these steps would lead, He reminded me of this story.
Even though I knew my destination, the snow was falling so heavy I couldn’t really see where I was going. I didn’t know if I was on concrete or grass. I wasn’t sure if I was in the street or on a sidewalk. The only thing that helped me get to school that day were those footprints.
I said to God, “That was crazy! Her feet were all over the place, and I had to step in wherever and however she planted her foot.” God said, “But she knew how to get there, so all you had to do was trust her.”
Trust her? Yes. I did then and I still do.
Walking in the footsteps of Jesus doesn’t always feel like it’s a straight shot to our destination. In fact, many times, we’re not sure what the destination is, outside of Heaven. There are times when we have to jump to make it to the next step. Call it a leap of faith, if you will. There are also times when we may need to take steps that don’t make sense to us at all. But God knows where he’s taking us even when we don’t. And all he asks us to do is follow him.
If you’re in a similar season, let me encourage you. We may not see the destination but it’s important to find joy in the journey. That all sounds very Hallmark-y, I know but it’s also true. Every day, God shows me the next step to take. My part is to be obedient. I take a step, then the next and the next and soon, I see the path. Like any path in a forest, you can’t always see where you’re going but that’s not as important as staying on the path. When I think back on that day now, trying to walk in my sister’s footprints was fun!
“So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don’t veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you’ll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you’re about to possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33, MSG
Each day we follow Jesus brings us closer and closer to God and He uses each moment for His glory and His honor. Following Jesus can seem hard some days but remember, God’s not interested in perfection. He’s interested in obedience. We don’t have to figure out where to go or how to get there. All we need to do is trust Him, stay on the path and walk in His footprints.
Faith Love n Joy 