Most of the games just involved people. You didn't need expensive equipment or special shoes. In Kick the Can of course you needed a good sized can. This usually was an old coffee can that was used as 'base'. In Dodgeball you needed a ball that didn't hurt too bad if you were hit by it. The rules were easy and any number of people could play.
Follow the Leader was probably the easiest of all. You follow the leader. If the leader flaps their arms you flap your arms. If the leader skips you skip. Pretty easy stuff. You really only needed to wonder what the leader was going to have you do. So you did need to have some ability to trust the people you were playing with.
Most of us no longer get to play these simple childhood games. The question now is, who should we follow?
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. Matthew 9: 9
Peter, Andrew and Matthew didn't ask questions when Jesus called to them. They just followed. They trusted Jesus. We should and can have that same trust in Jesus.
I love old hymns and the thought of following Jesus brought a favorite hymn to my mind. It's called "Footsteps of Jesus" and it was written by Mary B. Slade in 1871.
Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.
Refrain:
Footprints of Jesus,
That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where’er they go.
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
Helping the weak.
If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.
Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!
If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.
By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.
Then, at last, when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.
Following in the footsteps of Jesus. Is there anyway we could go wrong or be lead astray? The answer is simple. No.
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. John 12:26
Let's follow Jesus together.
