Ethel's favourite... Footprints

One night, a woman had a dream.

She dreamed she was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from her life.

For each scene she noticed two sets of footprints in the sand.
On belonged to her, the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of her life flashed before her,
she looked back at the footprints in the sand.

She noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.

She also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times of her life.

This bothered her so, and she questioned the Lord:
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
that I you would walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I wanted you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied:
"My daughter, I love you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was there that I carried you."

  
Ethel, at 100 years of age, sat on a bench commissioned in celebration of her birthday and bought by her family and many friends.