This past summer, hubby and I, along with our two kids, were able to travel to a small island in the North Atlantic. This small unassuming island is a place of amazing, jaw-dropping beauty!
Throughout the years, this small island nation has quietly minded its own business and done its own thing. It wasn’t recognized on the global world scene. People knew it was there … but nobody much cared.
Until a massive volcanic eruption a few years back brought global commerce and travel to a complete standstill! Then … suddenly! … the global spotlight was turned onto this tiny island nation!
People were curious. What was this place like??
Tourists began arriving to explore and check the place out. Magnificent wonders were discovered!
Word of mouth spread. More tourists began arriving.
It was not long until there were more tourists on the island than local residents. Sites of incredible beauty were being overrun by tourists. This small country did not have the infrastructure to handle such volumes of people … because up until this point there had been no people.
Of course, the tourists coming to enjoy the incredible beauty were completely unaware of the damage they were doing to the landscape.
Sensitive natural areas of flora were being trampled underfoot as tourists hiked to places of wonder.
Delicate landscapes were being compacted by vehicle traffic and rutted by tires.
When “nature called” and there were no toilet facilities available, the tourists did whatever they needed to do, wherever they were … completely unaware that the bits of toilet paper which they left behind were then picked up by the wind and blown all across the landscape. Leaving the incredible beauty now littered throughout with toilet paper pieces.
Where there were no overnight lodging facilities in desolate remote places, tourists camped … ripping up sheets of moss to use to line their tents as a comfy padding … completely unaware that that delicate vegetation can take decades, even centuries, to grow back.
This situation of unaware tourists causing irreparable harm to the landscape they traverse can be compared to life itself.
In much the same way, every day people come and go across the “landscape” of our life. And likewise, we too come and go across the “landscape” of other people’s lives.
For the most part, each of us are just like the unaware tourists on the tiny island nation. We have no idea about what is going on in the other person’s life. We have no understanding about the “landscape” we have just stepped into.
And just like the unaware tourists did whatever they wanted, such as trampling sensitive areas to hike to places of beauty, so too we can inadvertently “trample” across sensitive areas in people’s souls and lives as we go throughout our day doing whatever it is we are wanting to do.
The local residents of the small island nation have a “love/hate” view towards the tourists. On one hand, they want to welcome the tourists, because this means revenue and income, and a thriving economy.
But at the same time, the locals are infuriated by the way the unaware-tourists are destroying the beauty of their homeland … the very thing the locals hold dear and valuable and precious!
This past summer our church has been going through a sermon series on Psalm 23.
Psalm 23:6 states: “Surely goodness and mercy/love will follow me all the days of my life … .”
I have always automatically thought that what this verse means is that Jesus, my good shepherd is following along right behind me all the days of my life, taking care of me. It’s a rather smug feeling, knowing that Jesus is right there following behind me with goodness and mercy.
But … as I’ve been pondering these thoughts this summer, I now believe there is more to it than that.
If I have trusted in Jesus Christ for the salvation of my soul, and have surrendered my life to Him, Jesus gives me the Holy Spirit to live inside me and to help me. The job of the Holy Spirit is to transform (aka: change!) me to become more and more like Jesus.
What is Jesus like?
- Jesus is love.
- Jesus is peace.
- Jesus is patient … my good shepherd is patient with me!
- Jesus is kind … my good shepherd is kind!
- Jesus is faithful … my good shepherd will never leave me or forsake me!
- Jesus is good … my good shepherd does what is good for me!
- Jesus is merciful … my good shepherd shows mercy to me when I mess up and make mistakes.
So back to Psalm 23:6 … “Surely goodness and mercy/love will follow me …”
Jesus is goodness, and mercy, and love, and patience, and kindness, and faithfulness, and peace.
As a follower of Jesus, if I have the Holy Spirit living inside me, then the “footprints” I leave behind as I walk across the “landscape” of life will be goodness, and mercy, and love, and patience, and kindness, and faithfulness, and peace, etc. …
Not only is Jesus following behind me … but I’m supposed to be just like Jesus … and what I leave behind should be the same things!
What footprints am I leaving behind??
There are some people who claim to be followers of Jesus, but the “footprints” they leave across the “landscape” of our life are damage and destruction.
Criticism. Judgement. Condemnation. Thoughtlessness. Hurt.
If we are a follower of Jesus, then the “footprints” we leave behind, across the “landscape” of other people’s lives, should look just like Jesus. People should not cringe when they see us coming. People should not dread having to interact with us.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.
What footprints are you leaving behind?
