Sanding My Feet

How beautiful are the feet....

Having a 65 year old foot takes up time that has been allocated for things like: reaching for success, doing good for others, growing in my Faith Walk, spending time with those we love, etc. It is very tiring and boring, getting the file out (looks like a grater for cheese), spending time 'sanding' the foot, a lot of time. Then there is the ointment, the creme to keep it from cracking. Today, during the boring task of restoring my feet, this text came to mind.

Just an ugly 65 year old foot

•  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news.. Isaiah 52:7
•  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" Romans 10:15

Let's put those text written in perspective to when they were written. Many had to walk everywhere they went. Plus they did not have hiking boots or high dollar sports shoes. No insoles made of memory foam, most were just sandals. Remember the environment, have you been to Israel? Have you seen the desert, the rocky terrain? What about those areas were the weeds are growing, climbing to En-gedi (it was muddy and slick with rocks and vegetation).

Sitting there, sander in hand, creme on the table beside the chair, all I could think was, 'Really?'. Then the devotion the Lord had began to become clear.

As our feet get older, carry the scares of adventurous lives, show the stress of caring for family and friends, the burden of the load of serving in the Kingdom there were some warnings: The foot can become dry, cracked, rough and very ugly.

If the foot is not 'sanded', adverse situations grinding on the foot, it becomes so calloused and abrasive no one can stand to touch it, looking at it is bad enough. There should be a joy inside of us when we encounter adversity, it is removing the callouses, keeping us smooth. Preparing us to hurled into a world of evil as one of the smooth stones a Shepherd boy picked up, hurled toward a giant's forehead which caused that enemy to fall to the ground.

The creme keeps me teachable and pliable in the hands of an Almighty God, the Holy Spirit. Can you see balm of Gilead in His hands rubbing it into the hardness of the callous and the pain the adversity to get me tender again. Callouses brought by so many miles of demanding, spiritual terrain that no one has taken the time to look at my 'feet' to notice.

Feet, who goes around looking at people's feet? How many times have you seen people 'model' their feet? Oh, there is the craze of flip flops and women in open toed shoes but most of us men never care for our feet and never notice the feet of anyone else. Yet, it is the feet the Lord inspired the author's to pen that was beautiful.

As the time came for the creme to applied, it said on the directions, 'massage thoroughly into the skin and in extreme situations, cover with a cotton sock for quick healing'. Now, that is in incredible advise:

• Get alone with the Holy Spirit today and allow Him to massage His love and tender care into your life. Let Him take that sweet balm of Gilead and refresh your journey. 
• If you are hurting really bad, the callouses are really hard and the cracks have made it difficult to sleep at night due to catching on the sheets, let the Holy Spirit cloak you with His sweet presence and bring you peace. He is still able to calm the storm in your life or maybe, just maybe, He is desiring to just wrap you in the Power of Grace to get you through the storm! 

Feet.... beautiful, only in His presence when they are doing what they were designed to do.... take the Good News, the Gospel to a hurting and dying world. Remember, we are M25, a ministry outside the four walls. The question screaming inside me, 'Are you living your life in the desert areas of your community?' 'Are you taking the risk that your feet might take you to some dangerous places?' 'Are you actually traveling enough outside to even expose your feet to pain?' 

A day to ponder......