沙灘上的腳印

有一天晚上﹐我作了一個夢。在夢中﹐我和主正在沙灘上同行。
這時天空浮現了我一生所渡過的光景﹐當每一幕景出現時﹐我都看到沙灘上有兩行腳印﹐一行是我的﹐一行是主的。

當人生的最後一幕出現在我眼前時﹐我回顧沙灘上的腳印﹐
我赫然發現在我人生中有許多時刻﹐沙灘上竟只有一行腳印﹐
而那正是我最低潮﹑最哀傷的時刻。

我問主說：「主啊﹐當我決定跟隨你的時候﹐你不是應許我﹐你要一路與我同行嗎﹖
可是我發現﹐在我人生最難過的時刻﹐沙灘上竟然只有一行腳印。
我不明白﹐為何在我最需要你的時候﹐你竟會離我遠去﹖」

主回答我說：「我親愛的孩子﹐在你受試煉的時刻﹐我從未離開過你﹐
你是所看見的那一行腳印﹐正是我抱著你走過......」

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND / Mary Stevenson

One night I dreamed I was walking
Along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times there were 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 noticed that during the most trying periods
Of my life there have only been
One set of prints in the sand.
Why, When I have needed You most,
You have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints
Is when I carried you."