Most people know the Footprints in the Sand poem. It is a poem about a man’s dream of walking with God in the sand and seeing two sets of footprints but when times are low the man only sees one set of footprints because God is carrying him during those times. Well what happens when you stumble over God’s feet while he is trying to pick you up? Let me tell you!

After my divorce last year, I decided for personal reasons to make a change in churches. While I was married, my family went to this wonderful little Methodist country church. I, however, never converted, so remained Catholic. So when deciding to change churches, I decided to go back to the Catholic Church. The church I decided to go to was where some of my oldest son’s friends went so I thought this would make it an easier transition. All along, I didn’t know if I was making the right decision for my boys.

One day while we were on our way into church somehow I stubbed my toe on my 8-year-old’s foot. How this could hurt so badly I don’t know, but I actually thought I broke it! I stumbled up to communion and then told the boys I was going to the ER to have it x-rayed. I was crying on my way out of church. We got out to the parking lot and this lady comes running after me and says, “I felt like God wanted me to come check on you so here I am.”  She volunteered to watch my boys at the ER or do whatever I needed her to do. That made me cry even more. It was right then and there that I knew I had made the right decision on changing churches. Stumble #1.

Stumble #2. Being a Catholic, there is a public perception that divorce makes you morally corrupt in some way. So when we started going back to the Catholic church I felt like I was sneaking in and out because if someone found out I was divorced, lightening may strike me down in church. Here a few months ago, my ex-husband’s words to me about going back to the Catholic church kept reoccurring in my mind, “You are a hypocrite. You are a hypocrite.”  Those words got silenced when one day in church the sermon was all about the Catholic church accepting those who are divorced and welcoming the divorced with open arms. A faith based person who comes to church and believes in God should not be condemned by anyone just because they are divorced. Got it God, I once again am where I am supposed to be.

Stumble #3. Last Sunday, my boys and I had to go to a different time for church. My almost 3-year-old was in rare form that morning. On bathroom trip #3 during church, this older lady tried to grab him like she was going to stop him from going to the bathroom. Oh, my mama bear wasn’t too happy with this. I took him to the bathroom (AGAIN!) and was in tears because I felt once again like the most inadequate mother in church. All I could think is “I am a single working mom trying to make my boys understand the importance of faith in their lives. I will suffer through 3 trips to the bathroom to reinforce this.” It once again made me question if I was doing the right thing for my boys. Then 3 days later, I read a blog on Her View From Home by someone who goes to the same church and has little boys too. She wrote about how not taking her kids to church one Sunday made her realize that her identity as a mother included her being at church with her boys. Yep God, you knew I needed to read that this week.

So what it comes down to is that I have to stop questioning my decisions. God has a plan. At the times I tried to question it and stumble over his feet to possibly make another decision, he puts me in my place. My place being right by his side to walk through life with Him.