Footprints in the Sand

"One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson

(Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, from original 1936 text, All rights reserved)

-Just a little commentary on this poem, if you don't mind:
My seminary teacher talked about this poem to our class recently, and told us this poem was wrong. He said that even though it was a nice poem, Jesus does not carry us in our hard times. (At this point, all of us were really confused). He had us turn to Isaiah 46:3, which says, "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb." He explained that Jesus doesn't start carrying us when things get tough - he has always carried us.