Oh My Feet

     It's kinda funny to me that when I feel lead to pray about my next blog, the next thing that catches my eye is usually what I end up blogging about.  This time I was sitting at my desk at work.  As I finished my prayer I looked down at a picture of my kids. My eyes went immediately to their feet and I knew the topic of my next blog. 
     So when was the last time you had a pedicure?  I had one last week.  If I could afford it and had the time, I would have one every week!  I am always amazed at how good it makes me feel.  The most difficult part about the entire procedure is deciding a color to paint my toenails.  Once that decision is made I am free to relax in the massage chair while my poor aching dogs soak in the bubbly water.  It's really a good thing that there is usually a mirror across from me.  Seeing my reflection helps keep me in check.  Otherwise I can just imagine the crazy faces I would be making as I melt into the that chair!
     "How love on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7.  Have you ever thought about feet as lovely?  Probably not.  Yes babies have cute little chubby toes.  Little kids have wiggly little piggies.  But lovely feet?  Seriously?
     Many times I've heard the story about how my mom smelled my feet when I was a baby.  To her surprise, my tiny feet smelled like feet!  Well that's what happens when you have a baby wear leather shoes for a while and then stick those same little feet up to your nose!  And that brings me to another point.....those pedicures.....how in the world do those ladies work on peoples' feet day after day after day!  The smells, the nasty skin they scrape off, the junk under the toenails, the toe jam.  Gross!
     Most of us think of our feet as our most unattractive feature.  In our family, us girls are outnumbered 5 to 2.  And I will say that, while the guys had adorable baby feet and little boy feet, grown men feet are just not pretty at all.  Of course they don't really care.  They find the most comfortable shoes they can and go for it.  While us girls paint our toenails, massage lotion into our feet, pamper our feet (when we have a chance) and make them as pretty as possible by wearing the cutest shoes we can find!
     Yet still feet really don't get much honor.  The Bible tells of of a time Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.  He did this for several reasons.   For one thing, their feet were dirty.  They wore sandals on dirt roads.  I kinda doubt they had nail salons on every corner like we have.  Chances are those disciples' feet were nasty, nasty, nasty.  And here was their Master, their Savior, washing their feet!  But not only was He washing their dirty feet, He was setting an example of how a Master was to be.  A good master can't be a good master unless he is also willing to serve.  Jesus was willing to serve, bless and take care of His followers right down to their dirty feet. 
     Another point Jesus was trying to get across to His followers, was that we all sin.  Even those who know Him as Savior sin.  But do we need to be saved all over again?  No.  We only need to be cleansed from those sins.  Once we ask His forgiveness and repent, we don't have to have those sins forgiven again.  He looks at us like those sins never happened at all!  So we don't need to have all our sins washed away again.  Just the parts that are dirty.  Like the disciples' feet!
     Did Jesus wash everyone's feet?  No.  He washed the feet of His own disciples.  His disciples had their past sins cleansed already.  They only needed new sins, new dirt, washed away.  Their feet had to be disgusting.  But Jesus loved them so He didn't mind.  Same for us.  Our sins are so disgusting.  But if we come to Him, He doesn't mind.  He will wash our nasty sins away with His own blood if we just let Him. 
     Do you know Him?  Would you like to?