"Humorous" Interpretation of Footprints in the Sand

[Satori]

The poem made me laugh, but probably because I absolutely hate "Footprints."

Thanks Laura   

And Satori, yeah, I saw the footprints poem years ago (the original) and I kinda rolled my eyes. I get the gist of it just fine, it's just kinda cheesy. I prefer the buttprints poem, haha

I think I found it moving the first time I heard it, as an eleven-year-old hearing it read dramatically at youth group. Since then it's greatly diminished in power and the butt prints make more of ... an impression. Theologically correct or not.

[MoreCoffee]

The poem made me laugh, but probably because I absolutely hate "Footprints."

Thanks Laura   

And Satori, yeah, I saw the footprints poem years ago (the original) and I kinda rolled my eyes. I get the gist of it just fine, it's just kinda cheesy. I prefer the buttprints poem, haha

I think I found it moving the first time I heard it, as an eleven-year-old hearing it read dramatically at youth group. Since then it's greatly diminished in power and the butt prints make more of ... an impression. Theologically correct or not.

They definitely make more of an impression. A nice round one 

[Satori]

The poem made me laugh, but probably because I absolutely hate "Footprints."

Thanks Laura   

And Satori, yeah, I saw the footprints poem years ago (the original) and I kinda rolled my eyes. I get the gist of it just fine, it's just kinda cheesy. I prefer the buttprints poem, haha

I think I found it moving the first time I heard it, as an eleven-year-old hearing it read dramatically at youth group. Since then it's greatly diminished in power and the butt prints make more of ... an impression. Theologically correct or not.

They definitely make more of an impression. A nice round one 

Yes, like a brown 'n' serve roll.

[CollegeCatholic]

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/210506/november-13-2008/tip-wag---marvel-comics

YES

I FOUND IT.  Watch thiiiiiiiiiiis.

[StrictCatholicGirl]

Ha! That guy is good! Who is he?

I admit I laughed at Buttprints. But that's my sense of humor.

[QuisUtDeus]

On the other hand it has a point, when I was trying to figure out whether or not praying was even worth it and whether or not God was actually there, I kinda got the sense that I needed to make a choice and just believe in something already, or back away from it. Thats what this reminds me of. Its kind of a cheesy poem but basically it works, it was like God was kinda saying to me, either believe and start praying or I'm gonna leave you right where you are if you won't listen to me.

So, I can see the idea behind it!

I could just as easily tell you, but I'll write it here anyways: God never just drops us where we are, and leaves us there alone. Instead, He pursues us. He loves us. He keeps calling to us, daily, until we respond to that call. Even if you had felt compelled to pray, and you'd completely ignored it.... God would have kept reaching for you. That's just how He is. He is the one who gives us the grace to believe in Him at all; without that grace, we'd be lost. You know how glad and how thankful I am that you did listen to God and that you did start speaking to Him..... now, let Him speak to you. He isn't just a generic deity out there who answers our prayers. He's Lord of the Universe. He's our salvation. He's Jesus Christ. And when we are at our lowest.... He carries us. He doesn't drop us. He is more faithful to us than we EVER are to Him, and when we are alone and in need of His grace, He offers it. Keep seeking Him. You'll find Him. Keep that heart of yours open.

 

+1

The thing to remember about God is He never turns away from us; we turn away from Him.  If we turn back around, He's right there where He always was, waiting for us.

And yeah, MoreCoffee, as I've said, God plays hardball.  At different times in our lives, He makes us choose between Him or not.  I'm very happy this time you chose to believe He exists.

+1 to the Buttprints poem as well.   I hate cheesy stuff, especially felt banners.  Next time someone e-mails me Footprints, I might send this back to them.

[MoreCoffee]

+1

The thing to remember about God is He never turns away from us; we turn away from Him.  If we turn back around, He's right there where He always was, waiting for us.

And yeah, MoreCoffee, as I've said, God plays hardball.  At different times in our lives, He makes us choose between Him or not.  I'm very happy this time you chose to believe He exists.

+1 to the Buttprints poem as well.   I hate cheesy stuff, especially felt banners.  Next time someone e-mails me Footprints, I might send this back to them.

I'm glad I believe in God too, I'm trying to work out who he is and what he is, though. I'm glad I believe prayer actually does something for people.

Although as far as I can see, God hasn't stopped playing yet hardball yet, even though we've all "got the point" already. And he's playing it with the wrong people, people who shouldn't have balls whipped at them.

[QuisUtDeus]

And he's playing it with the wrong people, people who shouldn't have balls whipped at them.

Those are the people who can take it and make use of it.  I know this is probably hard to understand, but it's not a punishment; it's a grace.  Read the book of Job sometime.  If He played hardball with people who were not open to Him, they wouldn't listen - they would just resent Him.  They'd point the finger at Him and say, "Bad, God. You're mean."  There is no point for Him to do that; the punishment for misbehaving comes later, after we die.

St. Ignatius started out being a soldier; his leg was badly damaged, and he spent a long time in bed and read the Bible a lot.  Next thing you know, he founds the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and is eventually made a Saint.  St. Paul was Saul first, and God struck him blind to get his attention, and then St. Paul ends up executed.  St. Peter was crucified.  The closer you get to God, the more suffering you experience, usually.  I know that's the opposite of the Protestant mentality where if you are good God sends you money, but historical evidence shows the Catholic position to be the accurate one.  There is also the fact that Christ promised earthly suffering to those who choose to follow Him.  Add to that the fact that God saved His children by dying on a Cross....

I'd say more, but honestly I don't think you'd understand, at least not yet.  Not due to lack of intelligence, of course, but lack of openness to the concept.   It's a conundrum, for sure, how God can love us and at the same time play hardball with us, let all kinds of suffering happen on earth, and the Son be nailed to the Cross.  But there it is.  I don't claim to completely understand it, but I accept it.  The Fathers of the Church and the Saints have written tons on this, most of it not completely satisfactory to most people because it requires a leap of faith and trust in Him.

All I can say is if you stay open to Him, eventually you will "get it".

[CollegeCatholic]

And he's playing it with the wrong people, people who shouldn't have balls whipped at them.

St. Ignatius started out being a soldier; his leg was badly damaged, and he spent a long time in bed and read the Bible a lot.  Next thing you know, he founds the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and is eventually made a Saint. 

He also fought to become a priest, he had to learn Latin with schoolchildren, he made pilgrimages to and fro, was almost always in poor health, and a few other things.  St. Ignatius is a really good role model for persistence and God.   lol

Allegedly said by St. Teresa of Avila, to God:
"If this is how You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few of them."

[Grasshopper]

I'm glad I believe in God too, I'm trying to work out who he is and what he is, though. I'm glad I believe prayer actually does something for people.

I would caution against overconfidence in the power of prayer. Prayer is a wonderful thing, but sometimes you can pray really hard for something and still not get it (or get the opposite). This doesn't mean that God isn't listening -- just that He knows better than we do what is good for us, and that His long-term plans may involve short-term things that we perceive as negatives (and if you believe in eternal life, as all good Catholics do, our entire earthly life is "short-term"). There's an old saying that God always answers prayers, but often the answer is "no". Whenever I pray "for" something (even when I was praying for Laura's recovery), I try to remember to add at the end: "But Your will be done, not mine." God doesn't need to be told that, of course, but it's good to remind ourselves.