feet

Sometimes, God lets you say something profound--even if only to yourself.

Not ten minutes ago, while peanut-buttering a slice of just-ground, just-baked wheat bread for Tera's lunch (we've gone organic ... but that will have to wait for another post) I stepped on Squishy's toes.

Of course, you don't do something that heinous on purpose. I didn't even know she was there. I'd been standing there at the kitchen counter scraping the last of the cherry jam out of the jar, and stirring the peanut butter to mix it back into a spreadable goo, and thinking about my day and all the must-do things I needed to fit inside twelve hours, when I moved my foot every so slightly, and stepped right on that cat's front paws.

The pain was all hers, but we shared the near-heart attack. She shrieked and ran. I shrieked and dropped my knife, and then burst out with, "Don't sit at my feet ... or you're going to get hurt!"

Isn't that profound? And I wasn't even trying.

It's true. Take it as the word for today. Please don't sit at my feet. Don't sit at anyone's feet, unless that someone happens to be the One who walked out of the tomb. You'll never go wrong sitting at His feet. Never. In fact, all the wisdom you need for life and health and strength can be gleaned from that sacred position--sitting in expectancy, looking up in adoration.

But me? Your best friend? Dr. Phil? Oprah? We're all sinners. We'll all fail you eventually. I can guarantee that each of us will, in turn, step on your toes at some point. The ones you really want to watch out for are the ones who like to gather people at their feet, who like to be the distributors of manna, as though you can't go to the Bread of Life yourself. Steer clear of those disciple-gatherers.

Be Mary. Carve ten minutes from the chaos called today, strip it of "must" and "now" and "hurry," and settle at the feet of the One who'll never fail you; the One who has all the answers; the One who loves you with reckless, irrational, passion.

Go.

Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. --Matt 15:30 (NKJV)

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And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. --Luke 7:37-38 (NKJV)

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Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part ..." --Luke 10:38-42 (NAS)