Feet

What is it about feet? I am not a fan of the foot. My brother is not either, so we had interesting fights as children. If we got into a particularly bad scuffle, the one of us who could get their shoe and sock off and touch the other one with bare foot skin would be the winner. We would be so grossed out that the fight would end immediately. (In answer to your question- YES, we are weird!)

When I had my children, I loved their little feet. There is something about baby feet that is wonderful. The chubby toes, the smell of lotion....MMMMM. I haven't quite figured out at what stage of life their feet transform into FEET. When do they go from something you want to stick in your mouth and nibble on the toes to something you want to cover with shoes and socks? It doesn't have anything to do with love either. I still enjoy caressing my son's feet (he's 6), but I would prefer my husband wear socks to bed every night just in case....ewww!

Feet are functional . They make us mobile. They provide us with a foundation. Without them, life is very difficult. Take away feet and it makes it much harder to move forward and fulfill our purpose.

Being raised in the Methodist church, we did not observe footwashing as a sacrament. I didn't know much about the whole process or the meaning behind it. When I began attending the Mennonite Church, I got a crash course. For the first few years, I was able to avoid the footwashing ceremonies performed at our church. I could come up with excuses to be somewhere else. Then, one day, I couldn't avoid it. There was no real reason I couldn't participate, other than the fact that it was like competing on Fear Factor for me (and that's not a good enough reason!)....so I did it.

WOW! When you realize that footwashing is the ultimate form of servanthood, it really humbles your soul. When it was explained to me that not even SERVANTS in Jesus' time were required by their masters to wash the feet of visitors, it really made an impact with me on how Jesus humbled himself to wash the feet of His disciples. Our Lord and Savior- the son of God Himself- did not feel too good to wash the dirt off of the feet of His followers.

The other thing that strikes home is knowing how GROSS those feet had to have been! When you walk everywhere, and you only have sandals, your feet are probably much grosser than modern day feet where there is a spa on every corner. These days you can pay someone (no amount of money would be enough for me!) to wash and pamper your feet. I was talked into a treating myself to a pedicure a few years ago. It was as hard for me to watch someone wash my feet as it was for me to actually provide the service for someone else in a church setting. I couldn't get over the guilt of making this poor woman kneel before me and be in the position to serve me for money. I think its safe to say, I won't be indulging in that ritual again.

I still don't like feet, and I am still reluctant to participate in footwashing at church, but if I close my eyes, realize the symbolism of it and try to appreciate the impact of the statement it makes, I can get through it. When I open my eyes, I can actually delight in the fact that I showed Jesus to another in a way that may be difficult, but it makes it all the more meaningful. Plus NOW I can win all those fights with my brother!

The Quiet Game

In a stroke of genius, early in our daycare days, someone introduced my mother and I to the joy of 'The Quiet Game". Said with enough enthusiasm and the right inflection in your voice, any child can be enticed to play. The goal is to be the quietest for the longest period of time. If you talk...you're out. I LOVE this game. I will gladly play along with my daycare kids in order to encourage THEM to play. The competition can be fierce. Young and old alike can get caught up in the spirit of the game.

Every once and awhile, I get a stubborn kid who doesn't want to play. They ruin it for everyone. They go about their noisiness and it takes all the fun out of it for the rest of us. When the challenge is issued, they simply reply, "I don't want to play". It's hard to DEMAND that someone play The Quiet Game. If you're not willing, you simply don't win.

In the Quiet Game of life, I was always a loser. No one has ever used adjectives pertaining to silence in order to describe me. When I enter a room, most people are aware of my presence. I like to talk. I tend to be loud. I'd like to think of myself as social, but those closest to me will come up with less flattering terms of endearment for my boisterous personality. I'm surprised my mother's eyes weren't permanently affixed to the upward position. She rolled her eyes constantly at my behavior. My mouth moving was like fingernails on a chalkboard for the poor woman. I constantly got reminded that ladies were more subdued. I was encouraged to be quiet. Disappointment surrounded her efforts to raise a ladylike daughter with a subtle demeanor.

About 4 years ago, I attended a retreat where we were asked (it was implied that it was REQUIRED), to be silent through the evening. WHAT!!! Put me in a group of 50 women I've never met and then tell me to be quiet? What kind of torture was THIS???? The purpose was to still yourself and listen to God. Okay- I was on board with that concept, but it was HARD!!! I'm not sure I was 100% successful, but I did well for ME.

Since that experience, I have learned the benefits of quietness. I now seek quiet times. I actually look forward to the early morning (yes- this is new too!) before my family rises. At this time I feel closest to God, because I take time to listen to His voice. I can't do that when I'm barking orders and issuing directions for the day.

I'm learning to be a willing participant in The Quiet Game. I am no longer the youth that says, "LALALALA....I don't want to play!" Now, when God whispers, "Who can be the quietest?", I'm in the running to be the winner!