Proud Foot Prints

My mom used to have a picture on the wall in our house that often times confused me as a little boy. It was a picture of the beach alongside the ocean with a set of foot prints embedded in the sea shore. I really never took the time to read it so I thought it was a bit of a lonely picture and all I remember was a question in the writings about why did you leave me? It wasn’t till much later in life when I learned it was a story about someone who felt that God had forgotten them and he thought the footprints were only his. As most of you know the story actually went on to explain that at these times in their life that God actually carried him.

I would like to send all my love out to my friends from the North. Today is their Thanksgiving, and being a culture that is focused deeply on their families I would like to send my prayers and sincerest respect. You are all like family to me and I love you very very much. It is times like these that we carry each other through life! You have all been there for me and I promise to always be there for you! It is our faith, love and grace that has brought us together and it is our willingness to embrace these beliefs in our long term relationships that will keep us together. All of us are searching for ways to better serve our loved ones, our community, our nations and our God. We are all making footprints with every step we take. I am proud to say you are developing a legacy that your children’s children will be able to follow in so many ways. You are all charting a course for significant impact because you are willing to listen, strengthen and inspire. It is your testimonies that are shaping our lives and leaving proud footprints. As we know the only way you can have a testimony is by your willingness to overcome the tests of life. We are under construction and living in a constant repair shop where God and family are putting us back together.

I pray that God delivers me from pride and consumes my soul with his love and grace. I may not be able to change the world but I CAN change the world in me as I dance between unity and diversity! We are all so different yet we all want the same basic things. We want peace, happiness, security and to know that we have made a contribution in this world. I would have to say the attribute that I love the most about my family in Canada is how well you dance between unity and diversity. Your willingness to be bold and strong in who you are and how you think while at the same time totally accepting, loving and respectful of your neighbors that think completely different! It is truly inspiring to me and penetrated my spirit at the deepest level.

I am honored to be your friends and very proud of your footprints in the sand. Clearly, you are all willing to carry each other! My only prayer is that all of us down here in the States are infected by your humble graceful approach to life. I sense a great awakening in the hearts and souls of my fellow countrymen. I am proud of you and excited to see where our paths will take us and what our footprints will look like many years from now.