A Walk on the Beach

Christmas Day 2011 provided for me a first.  I had the opportunity to walk with my wife and family on the warm sands of Bonita Beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  It was a beautiful day with the temperature in the high 70's and literally not a cloud in the sky.  Walking hand in hand with my wife, my girls following close behind, I literally experienced a peace that I had not felt in a long time.  We enjoyed discovering the bright colored shells and the warmth of the sand.  I was relaxed, thoroughly enjoying the time with my family and found myself counting my blessings.  The stroll continued and then I heard the voice of one of my greatest teachers and one of the greatest theologians I have ever known, my 5-year old daughter Sara.  She simply said, "Hey Daddy, I am walking in your steps!"  Immediately I thought about what I just heard.  The beautiful innocence and trust suddenly became an overwhelming thought.  I wondered exactly where my feet were and the length of my stride.  I thought about the past year when I had worked long hours, had some great success, but also thought about poor decisions that I had made and the time I had not spent with my family.  I thought about failures of trying to do things my way instead of placing all of my trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).  I thought about my next step.  Could Sara reach it?  Would she step with excitement or would she ultimately find disappointment in where I have placed my feet?  Would I help light her path or would I lead her to destruction (Psalm 119:11)?  Would I lead her to Holy Ground (Exodus 3:5)? Yes, my daughter is walking my steps, all four of them are (Proverbs 22:6).  I need to choose carefully where I put my feet.  I need to walk in a pace that they can keep up.  I need to show the way.  Most of all however, I need to walk in the direction that honors my Lord not only because He requires my obedience, but because I do have little feet walking in my steps whereever I put my feet.  Borrowing a title from fellow North Carolinian Nicholas Sparks, my Christmas Day walk on the beach was definitely "A Walk to Remember."