Footprints (Yankee Version)

One night I dreamed I was walking in the snow with the Lord. 

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. 

In each scene I noticed footprints in the snow. 

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints; 

other times there was one set of footprints. 

  

This bothered me because I noticed 

that during the low periods of my life, 

when I was suffering from 

anguish, sorrow or defeat, 

I could see only one set of footprints. 

  

So I said to the Lord, 

"You promised me Lord, 

that if I followed you, 

you would walk with me always. 

But I have noticed that during 

the most trying periods of my life 

there has only been one 

set of footprints in the snow. 

Why, when I needed you most, 

have you not been there for me?" 

  

The Lord replied, 

"The times when you have 

seen only one set of footprints, 

is when I stopped to make snow angels. 

Why didn’t you stop with me? 

You would not have so many low periods in life 

if you stopped to play with me once in a while." 

 

(Apologies to Mary Stevenson, the author of “Footprints in the Sand.” There have been subsequent variations of this popular poem, which are often read at funerals. The original, written in 1936, can be found at this link.)