Walking in the
Footsteps of God
Chapter 1 Sample:
Chapter: Treading Water
The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He
leadeth me beside the still waters...
It's about 11:30 at night and I am walking in relative silence except for the sloshing sound of my
boots hitting the wet grass and the occasional humming and splashing of cars passing in the
distance. As I slowly tread toward my solace spot, a pond hidden amongst the trees behind my
dwelling, the cold wind rustles the dead leaves on the trees and the long blades of grass leave
specs of moisture around my ankles. I glance at my apparel to see a faded T-shirt, some gym
shorts, and boots that I have unknowingly left untied. Not exactly an outfit you would see on a
billboard or on the cover of a magazine, but right now that is the least of my concerns.
Just a few minutes earlier, my heart fell to my stomach while I received the most devastating news
of my life over the phone. This circumstance, like many situations I found myself in, couldn’t come
at a worse time. At this point, everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong. And if that
isn’t bad enough, my problems seem to have this domino effect where everything that has gone
wrong has caused another aspect of my life to falter as well. Sudden financial issues that were
magnified by transportation issues but the transportation issues are ironically of a financial
nature. Family issues that widened the gap in my personal relationship as my personal
relationship affected family matters. The emotional issues that plague me are an effect of what I
have been through and are now affecting my body. My body refuses to rest because my mind
refuses to do so. And now this.
After the dreadful phone conversation was over, I hung up the phone and turned around to the
dark hallway behind me. In disgust, I looked at the person I knew without a shadow of a doubt,
who was responsible for this mess and said; “Oh, your good, but you won’t win.” I saw the
expression of mischievous delight turn to being slightly concerned.
After wearing me down, this was supposed to be the knock out punch to end a 20-year battle. I
was supposed to lay my gloves down after the strike and retire from the good fight but I didn’t. To
his dismay, I absorbed the direct hit to an area that he knew I was weakest in and pursed my lips
to exclaim, “Is that all you have?” I can tell he wasn’t expected me to say that because he stood
there silent and that was unusual for him. He and I both understood my question was more or less
a statement. A challenge to let him know that I hadn’t been defeated just yet. I discerned that he
wasn’t exactly ready to lay down either. He thinks he has a chance to win. I guess he is unaware
of who I have in my corner.
I knew it wasn’t long before the bell would be rung and I would find myself in the ring shuffling,
blocking, and jabbing with him once again. But I would start this next round different than the
others. This time, I will sit in my corner and actually listen to what I am being told instead of
fighting my way. So I took my attention off of my enemy and turned it to toward the front door
while grabbing my hand-held recorder. The weather was less than inviting outside, but I had to
take this walk. With each stride, I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders,
but strangely I felt stronger than ever. My newfound strength was invigorating but this wasn’t a
victory strut. I was in desperate need of some advice from my corner.
In between the puffs of chilled air appearing in front of my mouth from venting and praying, I
mustered the strength to ask God, "Will I ever find Calm?" It seemed that each time I tried to go
toward my dreams, or to take one step forward, I found myself falling three steps back. I stopped
walking for a moment to stare at the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the pond water.
Despite the strong winds and icy drizzle that engulfed me, the surface of it appeared rather still. It
almost reminds me of life.
Have you ever felt like your life was still? You do everything you possibly can to move forward
only to come to the same place you began. You feel like you're lost in a never-ending maze or
walking in circles. I'm not just talking about the feeling of hopelessness at a dead-end job or the
agony caused by a failing relationship. Your whole living experience, which can include your
house, your circle of friends, your career, even your church, is just missing something. It's not
that you don't appreciate the many blessings God has bestowed upon your life. You realize there
are plenty of people that would love to be in your position, but you still can't help but feel
unfulfilled.
On the outside, no one has a clue about your personal turmoil. You go to work or school and
complete all the other daily activities your life calls for but deep inside, just under the folds of your
heart a small yet sincere voice whispers, "How long will you pretend you’re happy?" It's like
treading water in the middle of a shallow swimming pool. You’re not moving forward, or
backwards, just treading water. You are neither depressed nor pessimistic. You've finally come to
the realization that even though your life is fast paced like the howling winds blowing around me
on that night, it still seems rather empty like you are not fulfilling your life's purpose.
Walking in the
Footsteps of God
Chapter 1 Sample: