（１３）Footprints in the sand

During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.ここが、この話の最後にでてくる一番感動する部分です。なぜ足跡が一組しかないのかをLORDが説明されてます。私はcarryが「おんぶする：carry on one's back」を意味するということに気がつくまで、時間がかかり、やっと意味がわかったときには感動してしまいました。母に内容を日本語で説明し始めると、話の途中でこの話の落ちに気がついて、終わると、そんなことだろうと思ってたと言っていました。意味がやっとわかったとき思わず感動した私は単純すぎるのかなと思いました。この文章はセント・マリー大聖堂から、お土産に買ってきたピンバッチ（足跡のデザイン）をとめていた小さな紙切れに小さな文字で書かれていたものです。キリストに関するお話なので、転載しても、著作権とか無関係だと思うので、書き写します。

Footprints in the Sand
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 precious, 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 footsteps, it was then that I carried you."

ご参考：
LORD:神◆通例Lord
trial:試練、努力、苦難