[Sorry for the delayed post... changes are being made to blogger and the post text has disappeared! So here goes another stab at what was previously written.]
When my family of five piles in the living room to watch a movie, there are arms and legs everywhere. This can be interesting for my oldest daughter who doesn't like anyone's feet near her. Her younger sisters particularly enjoy watching her squirm as they get their stinky toes as close to her as possible then watch her jump off the couch in disgust. I cannot imagine my eldest voluntarily touching anyone else's feet, much less washing them.
Jesus, however, willingly stooped down to wash the grimy feet of grown men. The Master displayed love to His disciples through this act then said, "now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do." Just a little while later, he even further defined what serving one another is and gave us a new command: "Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize you are my disciples - when they see the love you will have for each other."
With my daughter in mind, this command brings up the question about those who have "foot issues." It seems like a silly question, but I know I've asked the same question just in a more "mature" way, with spiritual-sounding terms. I don't have abilities or experience in serving in this way, so shouldn't someone else do this who is more competent? Or I can even turn the questions in my mind into statements to get off the hook of loving someone through service, using excuses of inadequacies, weaknesses, discomfort or emotional hurdles (which are usually toward someone close to me, not the homeless man on the street).
The problem with all of these is that they're about my "foot issue" not about the person who God has put in my life to love. Jesus put no caveats, no prerequisites, no qualifications on this command. He said to love one another as He loves us. I've been asking the wrong question, focusing on the wrong person. The focus of love is the person God has put in my life to love. The right question is what will love them today? What is meaningful to them? It has nothing to do with my gifting, strengths or even the availability in my schedule. It's truly putting the needs of others above my own (Php. 2). It's living in the identity that I am completely loved and accepted and so I have the absolute freedom to love and serve whomever is in my life today (Galatians 5:13-17).
2 comments:
YES! I've been asking, begging God to give us a clear mission for 2 years now, frustrated and confused, we've been open to anything: moving, foster/adoption, evangelizing to any strangers, etc.etc. At the same time I've been begging God to draw my mom and aunt close to Him. But God... in His infinite wisdom had answered my prayers in an unexpected way, in a less dramatic and glamorous way. He asked us to serve my aging grandmother, to be the primary caretaker for her. I'm believing that God is answering both of my prayers through this new mission for our family. As I've been singing passionately about surrendering my life fully to Him, standing "with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all...", I realized that I'm complaining and feeling burdened about the unexpected (seemingly less glamorous) way that He's currently asking me to surrender my life to Him: through simply living and serving my grandmother, even when I feel maxed out already, even when the responsibility shouldn't traditionally fall on me, and many other excuses... I know I can trust that His plan is good and perfect. He'll give me the strength to do this for Him, for my grandmother, and for His glory to be shown to my mom and aunts.
Thank you for sharing through this blog. It keeps me in the Word, and is water for my weary soul.
Love y'all so much!!
Della, how beautiful is Jesus love in you and through you! You've revealed the truth that often our love (obedience) is lived out in the mundane, the routine, and our close relationships where we live seemingly unapplauded, often unnoticed, and hidden in Christ. Oh, but He is pleased!
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