Focus for a minute.
Focus on what looks disgusting, deplorable and delinquent of any merit.
What is it in your life?
Perhaps it is a car, you hate.
A child you’ve grown angry at.
Another’s bad habits that annoy.
A person who deeply hurt you.
Shoes that you’re tired of wearing.
A wait that should be long over.
A health that has left you in ruins.
Feelings that always seem to lead you astray.
A spouse who continually leaves you hurt.
When you stop to see the dirt for what it is, you start to see the life could emerge from under it.
It is there, you just can’t see it. There is more; you’re eyes just focus on the filth. Yet, under it is the wealth of the new thing that God wants you to see.
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Jo. 13:5
Jesus got on his knees, emerged into the filth, moved along from man-to-man, hands commingling in the water of disgust and offered the ultimate act of love to those least deserving.
Jesus washed the feet of rejection, Judas.
Jesus washed the feet of denial, Peter.
Jesus washed the feet of abandoners.
(as they fled from the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion), the disciples (Mt. 26:56).
Jesus washed the feet of you and me when the blood of Christ spilled over our grime.
Sacrificing, he allowed the nails in.
Enduring, he listened to the jabs.
Giving up, he trusted his Father’s will.
Humbling himself, he gave up his own very life.
Loving, he forgave even in his own worst hour of pain.
Jesus never allowed rejection and abandonment to
block his water of lavish love
that makes hearts sparkle out of the darkness of impossible.
Whose feet do you need to wash?
Perhaps what you see as crud, has been allowed by God above,
because you are just the one to bring God’s love.
Love to yourself. Love to your conditions. Love towards God who has allowed it. Love to that person who feels like a pet peeve. Love to children. Love to aging parents. Love to your heart that fails. Love to that person you can’t forgive.
Love, displaying itself in the most humble form.
Wash the feet.
Forget the offense – and know God is on defense.
Let go of the pride – and see the other side.
Remember Christ cleansed of you – so you can wash with a heart of ministry too.
Watch and see what will come – knowing it is God’s will being done.
Trust by faith in uncertainty – so you can get down on bended knee.
Watch the mountain move – knowing you have nothing to prove.
Let go and let Christ do the work, and he will. He will wash through your hands, love through your eyes, lead through your will, speak through your mouth, guide through your feet, listen to your prayers and hand back cleanliness, in those moments when you yourself fail.
He will empower you so that you can move into the stink, the stench and the repugnant to do what you never expect: hold it close with the heart to repair what is broken.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mt. 19:26
I so love this line in your post — “When you stop to see the dirt for what it is, you start to see the life could emerge from under it.” Many times, we only focus on what we can see with our eyes. Maybe it’s time for us to focus on what we can see with our heart… Thank you for this beautiful post.
Your neighbour in FMF.
Kelly, how easily we forget about those feet Jesus washed. We want to wash the feet of people smiling back at us, ready to receive what we have to give. However, when we take this lesson and apply it to our lives, the washing brings us to that place of humility where God can work in us and through us to accomplish His plan. Awesome!
So true Kristine! It is so valuable when we bend down and give the amazing to someone that God is doing in us.
So memorable! Thanks for looking at the ugly for what it really is and showing us the way out!
The dirt!!!! Love this!!
Thank you for this post. I am one of those people always complaining about what drives me nuts yet I fail to see that I am probably driving God nuts with my craziness instead of focusing on the beauty of the mess.
Ack – there is even beauty in the words that describe the very “dirt” that turns us off. Thank you so much for a poetic reminder that God’s creation is just that – a creative work of art – and it’s our job to join hands with Him in guiding it toward its proper role in reflecting Him, with love and grace working its way out through our hands.
Thank you for your words that cause me to examine my heart, my pride and to see the other side! God bless you! Visiting from Dance With Jesus.
I need to bookmark this post. As a mother of 5 young children every day presents an opportunity to be easily annoyed, bothered or offended. But in reading this post the Lord spoke to me and said Grace and Humility are the towel you need to gird your waist with so you can be a feet washer. And he gave me an opportunity to practice it. I was going to within these little Valentine love tokens I planned to put out for each child because I looked on the floor and saw crumbs (child #2 didn’t do his chores) looked in the sink (child #1 didn’t do her chores). But God said Grace. I laid out the items. The children showed so love in receiving them. They shared their items with each other (which doesn’t always happen). I pray to be girded with grace and humility to be a feet washed.
Within should say withhold
Glad to find you from Suzie’s. Words of encouragement here.
Oh mercy…this:
“Perhaps what you see as crud, has been allowed by God above…
because you are just the one to bring God’s love.”
I have never thought of it this way. This is SO convicting. Thanks for the encouragement.
Lynette
~#8 at FMF linkup
I love the angle of dirty feet being cleansed by the Master. Beautiful!
I was so blessed to be able to share “How To Get Past What Drives You Nuts” in front of my congregation yesterday. It caused my pastor to change his sermon from what he had planned to speak about, to a sermon about loving one another. Please keep on writing and I’ll keep on reading. Thank you so much!