Each year my husband and I take a couple of days before Christmas and head to the beach. We take a walk along the shore and quiet our minds. Christmas can be hectic in the church world so we are determined to slow everything down for a bit.

This year on one of our walks, I was fascinated with the footprints. They were moving in every direction. With dunes leading to more dunes on one side and the waves of the Pacific Ocean on the other, I thought about what we do when going left or right isn’t an option while choosing to move forward or go back is our only choice. As you can see the footprints in the sand are all over the place forward, backward, sideways.

When faced a decision do you look at the patterns of those that have gone before you or do you begin to forge your own path? Do you look far enough down the path to see if the prints turn back or do you just take it step by step? If others met obstacles does it deter you or motivate you?

And about those obstacles, are they enough to have you turn back and decide it is too hard or do you plow forward unaware of what is coming up or unaware of what is ahead and get caught in entanglements, sure you can overcome but instead find yourself drifting from the original purpose or saying precious time rerouting? Do you sit along the path to catch your breath using what was supposed to be an obstacle as a stepping stone?

Choices are hard. You are strong enough you were created to overcome you have to dig deep for it sometimes.

As the waves get closer and the tide begins to come in do you walk in your potential, run in fear of failure, or freeze in indecision waiting for someone to come and rescue you?

The questions came to mind quickly as we walked and turned towards my faith as a Christian. Do I walk in potential following the steps of the Messiah, purposeful, steady, determined, and focused or do I drift here and there? Which set of footprints am I following? Did I bring a map? Is it written on my heart? Can I pull it up in an emergency? Or do I, like these footprints, scatter with every wind of doctrine?

While all of these questions about footprints went through my mind, the man of God made a fire, pulled up a chair, and took a nap.

There is something to be said about the peace of God that surpasses understanding.