Many Christians are familiar with the poem Footprints in the Sand, which describes the heartache and sadness we feel as we walk through the trials in life. In the sand are two sets of prints which gradually become one set of footprints. With this painting, I wanted to illustrate a deeper feeling and show an increased level of emotional desperation…the devastation of how hard it is to keep moving forward when our footsteps become too heavy to keep going… Christ then steps in to help lift us to make our burdens lighter. Though we may feel convinced that we are alone, that we have been abandoned, we are never too far from His reach.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
– Isaiah 46:4
At different points in our life we’ll find ourselves at a point of loss. That loss could be a loved one passing away, the tragic news of a terminal illness, chronic illness, or an unexpected traumatic event… whatever has triggered the loss, the grief weighs on us over time, and on our loved ones. Sometimes the loss is compounded by the further loss of support. It is when we find ourselves in solitude, at the breaking point of despair that we fall on our knees and humbly turn to God with our burdens, and as Their love lifts us, we are changed.
