The Footprint
Marie quickly cleaned the coffee pot, left it on the counter to dry, and headed outside to do morning chores. It had been a long night of restlessness. Her mind was troubled over some situations, so she welcomed the day’s work. The orange globe of the sun, already brilliant as it edged into the blue sky, covered her like a blanket with its early morning warmth. As she walked the cobbled sidewalk towards the barn, beneath the squawks of chickens, she heard the impatient snort of the horse. Just before she entered, she glanced at the smaller barn and noticed the door was ajar. Later. For now, she had to feed and water the noisy ones.
With all animals fed, she raised the overhead door of the barn. She stared across the barnyard as her mind picked at the situations beyond her control. Worry threatened to take hold, but aggravation grabbed its seat. Then her eyes rested on the last chore. She had to close that door. With one hinge broken, it required a lift, a push, and the pitchfork lodged against it.
Beyond the door was thirty years of storage. She visualized the last time she had seen the inside. A raccoon had made the place his. It was no longer tidy, organized sections of old camping gear, retired bee boxes, and salvaged wood. The critter had ransacked all. The contents of the barn appeared to have been shaken, tossed, and torn to shreds. Unfortunately, a roll of insulation had also been involved. The pink stuff was everywhere, mixed with an assortment of debris. When Marie had found the mess, she felt defeated and left the cleanup for another day. Unknown to her, “another day” was today.
Curiosity caused Marie to lean in and look into the barn. The place always made her uneasy. There were too many “hidey holes” that could provide safe havens for all things that threatened one mentally, physically, and spiritually! Then she had the nerve to step inside. In the darkened quiet, the air was still and dry. The stale odors of animals mingled with the scent of lumber and motor oils. Marie listened intently for any startled scurries. No noise detected, she relaxed and assessed the interior. She found the mess was still as it had been five years ago – more than she felt she could handle and then some. She mentally chastised herself for not cleaning it long ago, then ticked off the excuses for that. Excuses did not erase her shame. The mess she confronted made her feel worthless. With no plan in mind, she bent over and picked up an empty pop can and tossed it into the bin with the others. She moved the bin closer to the wall. When she saw the box of canning jars in front of the metal cupboard, she placed those inside of it. She turned around to leave, and grabbed the broom propped against the wall. She intended to just sweep the area in front of the door. A few hours later, one third of the barn was organized and cleaned. During that time, whenever Marie had thought of the situations that troubled her, she simply prayed. Her prayers for help shifted to prayers of gratitude. Progress and prayers. It always seemed to work for her. She stepped outside of the barn with less weight on her heart and mind.
Marie lifted the door, popped it into place, and pushed the pitchfork against it. The sun had moved directly above her and was no longer gentle warmth, but blazing heat. Covered in filth, she decided on an immediate bubble bath and thought of the next day’s events.
Before daybreak, she rushed her routine as her heart held hope of completing the cleanup project. Chickens squawked, cats meowed, the horse snorted and stomped. Almost forgotten, she noticed the water still ran from the hose and quickly shut it off before she hurried to her project site.
The day grew long, the work tiresome, and the dirt endless. With determination, Marie methodically cleaned and organized. She felt a great sense of accomplishment when she reached the point of sweeping the final section. It was then that her mind moved to the situations. Still no solutions available to her, she gave them back to God. She turned around to do a second sweep of the area she had just done. The brush marks of the broom were evident in the dust on the concrete floor. Also very evident, was one single bare human footprint in the middle of the dusty floor. It was a footprint of perfection. A bit of fear made her freeze; it was replaced by recognition. She contemplated the beauty of the print. Too perfect. Too good to be real. And only a single print. It was not the first time Marie had encountered such things. She grinned, shook her head, and swept it away. Her work was done. As she walked towards the front of the barn, she passed every “hidey hole” with confidence. She had just cleaned an entire barn and swept away the final remnant of what had threatened her. There was no room left for fear or doubt; gratitude and faith was in place.
When Marie reached the door, she propped the broom against the wall. As she closed the door, she recalled the verse of “Greater is He.” Yes, indeed He is.
—Kathy
I John 4:4
