Over the weekend Jennifer and I went grocery shopping for the first time since JonMark left for college. . . back in January (it was shocking that it took so long for us to need to shop again). We stopped at a pair of grocery stores to complete our list before heading home. On the way, since it was raining, I called Emma and asked her to come out help us carry in the bags. Outside of my truck windows it was lightly raining and we did not want to carry everything in ourselves in the rain. Emma responded that she’d be watching for us and we were all set.
Because our last stop was at Target to pick up one single item, Jennifer drove so that she could let me off on the curb at the store. THe morning was going smoothly. The list was complete; the purchases made. I was especially excited because JonMark was coming home to surprise Jennifer for the week (she didn’t know). We pulled into the driveway. Emma jogged out to the truck. . . then things went wrong for me.
As I “shimmied” along my truck trying not to step in the wet grass in case it was slippery, I lost track of where my feet were landing on the driveway. On the final step before getting behind my truck, my foot hit a large pile of mud and sunk down a solid inch into the squishy mud. I hopped out as fast as I could hoping not to lose my shoe in the mess. But it was covered in chocolate-colored mud. I said to no in particular, “well this is going to complicate things isn’t it.” How am I going to take groceries into the house when I cannot walk into the house because of a very muddy shoe?!?
Not to worry. . . we got it done. But my shoe was still muddy.
When we were done, I slipped off my shoes in the foyer and helped put the groceries away. I thought that I would give my shoe a couple days to dry and then the mud would flake off. In the interim my shoe choices were a bit limited.
I could wear my blue Nepal-shoes. They have a hole in the side which can be a problem but they are still comfortable. Plus they remind me of Ilam. . . I could wear my old gray running shoes . . . But those are very broken down by the miles of running and walking with Luna so they are not very comfortable. Flip flops or sandals are not the best choice during this time of the year either.
I rotated shoes for a couple of days but none of them were as comfortable as the running shoes with the mud on them that sit in the foyer.
This morning, as I looked for shoes to wear, I remembered the shoes in the foyer. I put them back on, stomped my feet on the sidewalk outside of the manse, and headed over to the office. I found it interesting that as I walked my feet felt really good. The arches in these shoes are still strong. The shoes hold my feet so well each step still has a lot of spring to it. I did not realize how much I missed the normal experiences of my day. . . It might have just been simple shoe choice, but it helped shape my morning positively.
And so today I wondered, what spiritual practice have you put aside recently? What thing kept you soul alive and moving forward, but through an accidental choice or moment, you left it sit in the foyer of your life? There it remained forgotten and unused. . . It was helpful before, but now something caused you to leave it sit. There it sat for a time completely neglected. I wonder what will happen when you remember it and apply it back into your life?
Richard Foster reminds us that:
Our problem is that we assume prayer [or other spiritual disciplines] are something to master the way we master algebra or auto-mechanics.”
Maybe just putting re-embracing something, like a shoe with dry mud on it, could be all that is needed to help us move forward as Christians and as the church?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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