There had been a heavy snowfall, and Farmer Browne had started out to attend to some sheep on his farm. He did not look back, or he would have noticed that his small son had started out too!
After going a little distance, to his surprise he heard a voice behind: “Daddy, I’m treading in all your steps.” And looking round, sure enough there was his little boy planting his tiny feet just where his father’s feet had trodden.
The big strong man turned back, and gathered the child in his arms. But for days afterward those words kept ringing in his ears: “Daddy, I’m treading in all your steps.”
Farmer Browne was by no means a Christian man, for though he had attended church, and had heard the way of salvation through faith in the Saviour’s work on Calvary, yet there had been little response, and for some years God had been left out of his calculations altogether.
But now he began to think seriously. How often had his steps been turned to places where he would not like his little child, as he grew older, to follow! What about his steps on Sunday? They were going along a very different road from by-gone days, when they trod the path to the meeting hall. He thought of his hard-working little wife Peggy, keeping his Sunday dinners hot for him, and how he had been holding her up on the one afternoon of the week when she might have had a rest, while he—yes—he was just wasting his time with pals at the tavern. And his little son’s words came again: “Daddy, I’m treading in all your steps.”
How his conscience smote him! Then what about those races where he had been betting heavily? Again came the words: “Daddy, I’m treading in all your steps.” And once again his conscience smote him. There was no getting away from it—he was under deep conviction.
Suddenly he realized this was the voice of God calling him to repentance and newness of life, and in very real sincerity he turned to Christ, accepted Him as his own Saviour, and receiving forgiveness, he began a new life where all his steps were turned in another direction—now to follow his Lord and Saviour.
After this, as every Sunday came round, Fanner Browne and his happy little wife could be seen wending their way to the old meeting hall, and with them their small son Peter. And as they entered, Peter was always following behind—proudly treading in his father’s steps.
One winter’s day several years later, when the ground was covered with snow, Peter was out with his father, and the latter reminded him of that other winter’s day years ago, when he had called out: “Daddy, I’m treading in all your steps,” as he placed his little feet where his father’s feet had trodden in the snow.
Peter, now fast growing up into manhood, looked admiringly at his father, and said: “I wish all young fellows had a father like mine! I’m proud, Dad, that Pm treading in all your steps.”
Farmer Browne gazed at his son—a fine specimen of youth, fond of healthy sport, and with it all, a bright young Christian and a Sunday school teacher.
Ah! it might have been otherwise, he thought, and he lifted up his heart in thankfulness to God.
“O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD; FOR HE IS GOOD: BECAUSE HIS MERCY ENDURETH Forever.” Ps. 118:1.
ML 01/08/1961