Faith and Footprints

My friend Annika was over at my house last night helping me pack for Girl's Camp.

 As I was packing she was telling me about being at EFY.

She had a blast

and of course met some cute guys.

One guy in particular

from Oklahoma.

Really nice kid, came with his best friend.

During testimony meeting Annika and everyone else in her group

found out he's not LDS.

Can I just say how amazing that is?!?!

 The fact that he traveled to Utah to come to a religious camp and put up the money for it!!!

I mean seriously...

EFY comes from the Church.

I know personally, I wouldn't go to my friend's church camp

especially if I had to travel 

and pay a bunch of money.

Talk about courage and bravery and trust.

I don't even know this kid

But he's a great example for me in my life...

I have this poem hanging on my wall.

It's one of my absolute favorites, and even though it has nothing to do with what I just wrote, I want to share it anyway.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed 

he was walking along the beach with the LORD. 

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. 

For each scene he noticed two sets of 

footprints in the sand: one belonging 

to him, and the other to the LORD. 

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, 

he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me." 

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."