Who’s Got Your Feet?

 Categories : Listening to Each Other

 

I was down to my last pair of shoes. They were coming unglued, and both had holes. We were staying in a remote area, and without a vehicle, shopping was next to impossible.

Someone noticed my feet and offered to take me shoe shopping. After multiple stores, the perfect shoes still evaded me. It was easier to keep wearing my holey, soggy ones.

 

Finally my friend stamped her foot and announced forcefully,

“I’m not leaving this store without your new shoes!”

 

I studied her carefully…

Yep. She meant business. I wasn’t getting out of this one.

 

I barely knew this woman. But she gave me the best example of intercession I’ve ever experienced.

 

I say this because you’re in the trenches too. Whether or not you’re in Ministry with a capital “M”, you’re a bringer of Good News. The Bible says your feet are beautiful. It also says they need to be clothed in readiness to share the Good News in every season.

 

But we don’t become beautiful on our own. We don’t clothe ourselves in readiness in a vacuum. We need people to intercede for us. People who persist to the point of throwing a tantrum on our behalf. People who stand before God’s throne and say, “I’m not leaving until she is fully clothed with everything she needs to complete her mission!”

 

We say to each other, “I’ve got your back”, but who’s got your feet? (Tweet That!) Who’s contending for your readiness, your equipping, your capacity to take the Good News where you’re called to take it? And who are you contending for?

 

There’s another element to this: after I found a pair of shoes, I had to take off my old pair. We were doing agricultural work at the time, so my unprotected feet were shriveled and muddy. I was mortified. This woman (remember, I barely knew her) marched me to the restroom, where I sat on the counter while she helped me wash my feet in the sink.

 

It’s hard to let people love you, isn’t it?

 

It’s humbling to expose the shriveled, mud-caked parts of ourselves. But my intercessor wasn’t interested in a cosmetic solution. Only healthy feet would satisfy her.

 

She’s the reason I write to you every week. I care about  your feet.

 

I want you to be ready.

 

And beautiful.

 

I expose those parts of me, hoping to stir you to do the same.

 

Because we still have a race to run.

 

beautifulfeet

 

Who’s got your feet? Share this with someone who has interceded for you. Tell us about the difference it made in the comments below.



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  • http://kirstenoliphant.com Kirsten Oliphant

    I love this!! Visiting from Inspire Me Monday and shared on Twitter. I’ve found this to be so true in my life lately. Thanks for sharing!

    • mlekallio

      So glad it rang true for you, Kirsten. Thanks for letting me know!

  • http://www.blessedbutstressed.com Anita Ojeda

    These past two weeks I’ve had godly women interceding in prayer for me as my daughter went through a very difficult time. Over and over again they assured me that things would work out when I felt hopeless and broken. Without their words and firm faith, I don’t know how I would have made it.

    • mlekallio

      It’s such an amazing gift those women gave your family! Thanks for sharing your experience Anita.

  • http://herchristianhome.com Rhonda

    I loved this post. I want to be someone who sees the needs of others and will do what I can to help them. There have been many people in my life who have done that for me at a time when I was so low and needy. God used them to help me and encourage me…sometimes it was very, very humbling. I’ve had the privilege of working in the bus ministry for many years and now with the children’s ministry in our church and a nursing home ministry. There are opportunities everywhere!! I encourage everyone to find a ministry where they can serve… you won’t be sorry!!

    • mlekallio

      Rhonda, I can totally relate to that feeling of being embarrassed humbled! I love Yeshua’s example of doing only what He saw His Father doing. The more I focus on that, the more opportunities I have to serve.

  • http://grittygrace.com martha brady

    i loved this post:) it is a twist on the one i wrote today:) great visual. someone who loves me enough to wash my dirty feet. someone who loves me enough to go with me to get shoes…and insist i get them even when it takes time from her schedule! great post:)

    i think i’m your neighbor. my post hasn’t come up yet.

    • mlekallio

      Isn’t it amazing that Jesus cared enough about His friends to wash their dirty feet? It’s exciting that you wrote on a similar topic…usually when more than one person gets a similar idea, the Holy Spirit is stirring lots of people in that area.

  • http://www.simplechurchsuccess.com John Parker

    Yes, our feet for Jesus, and to putting on the shoes of peace! You put your best foot forward on this one, Hannah! Lots of sole!

    • mlekallio

      Wow, your sense of humor gets me every time! Thanks for keeping me smiling my friend!

  • http://danavaudrin.com Dana Vaudrin

    You do, Hannah.

    And even in the handful of conversations we’ve had. You’ve gotten to those shriveled, mud-caked parts of me and you’ve honored me in it.

    • mlekallio

      I love your feet Dana! They’re already bringing Good News. I’m excited to run this race with you!

  • Heidi

    Dear Hannah,

    this touched me deeply for several reasons.

    First, I didn’t notice your shoes in bad shape (or did you experience this before we arrived and you already had your new ones?). I saw your black single-toe-ones only. Sorry for my possibly blindness.
    Second, I was impressed by the forcefully way of help the lady did her job! And that she wasn’t detained to act by your comprehensible shame. Praise for the (late?) success, that appeared only long time later as a nugget to you (and me), I need more courage to ignore irrelevancy and act the important things equally.
    Third, I need to lern what intersession is also: to open my eyes to see the physical needs of others more clearly and then to act confidently. I realised an unbalanced focus on inner processes in me. Thank you!!
    Fourth, reading your words, I started to cry inside my heart, bedause I often needed (or just wished) little things, that nobody noticed or took care. There must be a wound in my heart, that runs deep and has to get cured… Thank you for unraveling it!
    I pray for our big Jesus-family that we all will have those open eyes for our real needs and this toughness and courage to do good to our siblings, no matter what the situation is.
    Thank you a lot!!!
    Heidi

    • mlekallio

      Heidi,
      God has used you to intercede both spiritually and physically. I’ve experienced it in my life. And I can relate to the wounded feeling when no one notices a need. It’s so comforting to me to know that God always notices. I don’t fully understand why we sometimes cry out for so long, when other times He meets a need before we even notice it. It’s exciting that He is stirring so many things in your heart, I know He wouldn’t do that until He wanted to bring peace. Thanks for interceding for us, and for being so honest about your own process of wrestling with God. Your bravery stirs up courage in others.