(Or Shoes)
Friday 10 February 2023
Paths Tromped Repeatedly
by Boots
Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Ephesians 6:15
As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.
Words of Grace For Today
My feet ache. My right foot especially aches and gives me pause before I slip on my boots to walk outside in the snow. I bought a new pair of boots, knowing that they would need a felt insole to be warm enough. Before I was able to get an insole, I wore them as they came, and discovered that something, something almost imperceptible is wrong in the moulding of the foot area and in the insert in the right boot. There’s a bump or something, a wrinkle in the insulating insert. And it’s wreaking havoc with my foot, just a little bit at a time. Even with an additional form-fit insole in on top the felt insole it’s gotten to the point where I go outside with plastic sandals if I can, instead of subjecting my feet to the slowly accumulating injuries that these boots are causing. Of course when I put the boot on it feels okay. When I ordered the boots on sale, for that was already a stretch, I ordered my size. The arrived and were too small by far, so I returned them and ordered the next larger size. When they came the right insert was wrinkled oddly. I tried to straighten it out and put them on. I needed them desperately for the cold of winter came early and quickly. So months later my feet ache.
Now if I had lots of money to spare or even some, I’d go out and buy a pair of boots at a more regular price, nearly three times what I paid for these. But that’s not an option. So trudge on I do, but it’s difficult to bring a word of peace while wearing these boots, or any of the other boots that I have that have holes, tears or simply no insulation left in them.
Putting on a good pair of boots would be a luxury at this time, for me and millions of others around the world.
Yet God sends us out, with our best shoes or boots, to bring God’s word of peace to all people. Our feat may be celebrated, and our feet may look beautiful to our listeners to take God’s Word to heart. That doesn’t mean that our feet (or any other part of us) will survive unblemished, injured, or healthy.
That’s just they way the world wears on us, and only God’s Word of peace can make the wearing of the world not cause us injury and pain.
Another day, giving it our best, wearing our best, prepared for the worst. Out of the worst God always brings deliverance. On we go, which is our testimony to how beautiful God’s creation is.