I was recently reminded of something I did when I was a little girl;
I walked in my Daddy’s footsteps!
It was a hot, dry, summer day and my Dad was watering the plants in our garden. He planted a huge garden every spring that produced such a large harvest we didn’t need to buy most of our vegetables all year long! My Dad believed it was better not to regularly water the garden because if watered just a little the roots would stay close to the surface requiring them to need constant watering. He preferred to allow the rain to water our garden even though the plants would experience some dry times because it was then their roots would grow deeper into the ground producing stronger plants.
But, there were those extra dry times that my Daddy did water his plants. It was that kind of day when I watched him fill his bucket with water and carry it down to the garden to give the plants a much needed drink. The next time he came up to the outside spigot to fill his bucket and turned to walk down to the garden I decided to put my little feet into each of his big footsteps.
I followed my Daddy as he made many trips back and forth to water the plants.
A good harvest requires intentionality!
Dad was intentional about his gardening!
It took a lot of hard work to produce a great harvest. Dad spent a lot of time sowing seeds, pulling weeds, and keeping the critters out.
Dad was intentional about his faith!
Dad lived a life of faith and sowed good seed into my heart;
The seed of loving my mother; committed to the covenant of marriage.
The seed of caring for our family and providing our needs.
The seed of going to church every Sunday.
The seed of daily Bible reading and prayer.
The seed of hard work.
But, as with his garden, there were weeds and critters that came to steal, kill, and destroy.
Weeds of fear of what others would think.
Weeds of stuttering meant to keep him quiet and insecure.
Critters of disability, a tragic accident, and a severe allergic reaction in his children’s lives.
Though these were meant to harm him they weren’t strong enough to keep God’s good from him!
I am thankful for a Dad who led me to God by sowing seeds of faith. And though there were weeds and critters that tried to steal, kill, and destroy what he sowed, nothing was able to separate me from the love of God!
Seeds of faith are stronger than weeds and critters!
The day I followed my Dad; having fun putting my little feet into his big footsteps…
I didn’t realize the effects of following…
I didn’t realize the power in leading…
But as I look back over my life I realize the seasons I followed the seeds of faith my Daddy sowed, the life situations I experienced made me stronger, and they produced good fruit in my life.
The seasons that I allowed the weeds and critters that stole from my Daddy, to affect my responses to life situations, I became damaged and broken, and I produced bad fruit in my life.
A good harvest requires intentionality!
While following in my Daddy’s footsteps was a fun experience, I’ve also learned that no one, not even the best Dad, will ever lead perfectly!
Even the best gardener will have weeds and critters in his garden!
But there is a Father who leads perfectly!
“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:6
And a Son who gave us an example of how to walk!
“The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” 1 John 2:6
While I was following in my Daddy’s footsteps that day I watched intently to see just where he put his foot so I knew where to put mine. I didn’t look at what was around me. I didn’t even take notice of where I was going. I didn’t worry that I would get lost or bump into something. I knew that if my Daddy put his foot there it would be safe for me to put mine there.
I trusted my Daddy!
I’m glad for this memory I have of following in my Daddy’s footsteps. It is an example of the way in which I am to follow in the path that God calls me to, and to walk as Jesus walked!
Keeping my eyes carefully fixed on the path God has for me.
Focused on where God is leading and not distracted by what is happening around me.
Trusting God knows what is best, with no fears, no worries.
But not only is this memory a good reminder of Who and how I am to follow, it is a reminder that there are little ones following in my footsteps.
How is my leading?
Where am I going?
What am I doing?
What seeds am I sowing?
What weeds and critters am I allowing to cause damage?
A good harvest requires intentionality!
