Dirty Feet

In this season, it is hard to see past the pain, the confusion, and trust Papa God with your healing. You want to be well right now, you are tired of the feeling of always needing to be "fixed." But, alas, you give up an keep moving on... I don't know if this sounds like anyone else, but it sure does describe me. Today, I was reminded of a time I wrote an article on cleaning someone's feet. I was given the task of finding some poor person to wash, then write about my experience, but the trouble was that no one would let me wash their feet. So, I sat staring at my computer having no clue "how," I was supposed to write this paper having not had the experience. Then the Holy Spirit began to talk to me about the context of the scripture in which Jesus washed their feet. In it the disciples began to wildly object when Jesus said, "I must wash your feet." In fact, Peter said, "I am not worthy of you to wash my feet, let me wash yours." The funny thing was that neither of them were prepared for Jesus' response. He interrupted their protests with this, "If I do not wash your feet, you can not have any part of me..." Well, Crap! That shut everybody up, even Peter. The Holy Spirit began to talk to me about the hardest and the worst part of our lives. How we don't want to have to let anyone else see those areas, and we would never want someone else to have to deal with them. In Jesus time, the feet were the dirtiest part of them physically. They walked barefoot or sandaled for miles and miles everyday. Some of the disciples could have stepped on anything from poop to diseases, needless to say, they were dirty, and both Jesus and the disciples knew this. Even to this day, most people don't want people to touch their feet, or they don't want to be touched my feet. Girls, argue all the time about who's feet are uglier and most men's feet are well....more ugly. But Jesus said, "If I cannot wash your feet, you cannot have any part of me..."As I read over it again, I began to get it. Our feet represent the worst parts of us, sometimes the hidden things, and if we are willing to let Jesus "wash and love us" WHERE we are...wherever that may be, than we can not enjoy all the other benefits that come from Jesus. We must be willing to say "Jesus, I am warning you these feet smell (sin and shame), I am pretty sure I stepped on a dead animal today at some point, and the smell could cause you to throw up..." However, we know that Jesus looks at our "feet" with Joy, because Hebrews 12 says "for the JOY that was set before him, he endured the cross..." He smiles at us as the warm water washes away the "dirt" of the day, week, year, or even years, and says "You think I am afraid to touch your feet...nahhh!!! I love your feet, they're your feet, and no one else's. Sure, you stepped in alot of crap, but just come right here and I will wash every smell and dirt away. I paid for those smelly stinky feet..." Sure, we all have stinky feet, even on our best day... But the feeling when you get out of the shower and you feel are clean and warm from the shower, there is nothing like it. Thank Jesus, He is the washer of feet, because as usual mine stink again. Jesus clean my feet, please!

Embracing the Mystery

Journeys are a most peculiar thing. They carry with them a certain newness, mystery, and surprise at every turn. Some are good and seem to make us aware that mystery holds certain truths. Still, at other times they are seemly destructive and we cower at the thought of facing more unknown. However, the fact of the matter is that we cannot change the journey that we are on. We cannot change the mystery, the newness, or the surprise that lies and waits for us to encounter it, but fear that is something that we can change. There is always risk to relationship. There is a risk that someone won’t be who they say they are, or that someone will fail us along the road. However, that is the beauty of trust, it is full of risk. Perhaps, it is important to consider the risk that Jesus took for us. He died knowing that half of the world might never know him. He risked that He would be rejected, and that we, having free will, could choose to take His hand or shove it away. Knowing this it’s hard to say no to the hand that is extended towards us each morning. Although the hand does not promise us no newness, mystery, or surprise, it promises one thing...togetherness. Life is a journey that we are called to walk with God in togetherness. No matter how scary or challenging the road looks, I am suddenly aware of the hand that is squeezing tightly next to me. I hear him whisper, “Your Papa is here....He’s never gonna let go...Your Papa loves you...Your Papa is proud of you...He is always pleased with you...You are loved my baby Jared...Loved.” Somehow, in the mist of these moments, the newness, the mystery, and the surprise loose their fear and suddenly there is a sense of adventure. I feel it crawling up from my stomach and it makes it warmth to my face, and I smile, because I am not alone in the mystery, newness, and surprise, or even the pain. I am lost completely lost in Papa God’s arms. His grip seems to carry me...carry me...wait..I remember this feeling...this unmistakable....Peace.