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Footprints is a popular allegorical text written in prose. Although anonymous, it is often attributed to Mary Stevenson or Margaret Fishback Powers.
Content
The text describes a dream, in which a man finds himself walking on a beach with the Lord. Naturally, they leave two sets of footprints in the sand as they walk. Looking back, the man understands that the tracks represent various stages of his life. He notices that at some points the two trails dwindle to one, especially at the lowest and most hopeless moments of his life. The man questions the Lord, believing that the Lord must have abandoned him at those times. The Lord, however, gives the true explanation: 'During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you'.
While critics may dispute the literary merits of the piece, it remains enormously popular, especially among Christians.
Authorship
Several writers have claimed authorship of the parable. In chronological order, these claims are as follows:
- Mary Stevenson: 1936
- Burrell Webb: 1958
- Carolyn Joyce Carty: 1963
- Margaret Fishback Powers: 1967