What to Wear?

Have you ever been unsteady on your feet?

Last week I borrowed a pair of my daughter’s boots. They had a higher heel than I’m used to, but it was a thick heel, so I thought that would be fine, because I felt like being ‘tall’ for a day. And it was fine, for a while. What I didn’t realize was that these boots were a little too big for me. So instead of the sole supporting my entire foot, all my body weight rested on the balls of my feet. And I was wearing socks that were warm, but not soft. In the beginning of my day, this did not matter.

When I arrived at work, I got out of the car and felt a little disgruntled over my choice of footwear. I opened the back door, slung all my bags over my shoulder (backpack for computer, purse for essentials, lunch bag for…lunch), proceeded to drop my keys twice, got the car door closed, shifted the bags that had slumped down back onto my shoulder and regained my balance (those bags are heavy!), locked the car, and made my way toward the building.Are you tired yet? Don’t forget my rough socks and too-big boots. Ah, yes- winning at life.

The guys who plow and salt and snow blow at our church are hard-working and awesome. They really do a great job! But they can’t always take care of every bit of ice and slush. I mean, they do have other responsibilities.

As I started to walk, I noticed there were two paths ahead of me. One was mostly cleared from plowing, and the other was mostly covered in snow, and slush that had frozen over. Now I would have to choose where to walk. These too big boots that were already hurting my feet, and the heavy bags that threw off my balance practically dared me to walk on the side with the snowy-frozen-slush, just to prove I could do it without falling down. I even looked around to see if anyone was witnessing my dilemma.

I have given in to those kinds of dares before, fallen flat on my bum, and I was not about to be a repeat fool that chilly morning. Spending the rest of the day in damp clothing with a sore bum was not on my agenda. So I chose the plowed side of the drive, and walked carefully, so when I got to the snowy part that was unavoidable I wouldn’t fall.

Of course this is a picture of my spiritual life. (Why else would I be sharing?)

Sometimes I make poor decisions about what I put on spiritually in the morning. And I carry things that throw me continually off-balance. Heavy things that could be carried differently, but right now they’re each in their own bag, needing separate attention and juggling to keep them in place. How could these things not affect how I walk on the path ahead? I am continually having to choose which side of the drive to walk on. And if I’m in a hurry, and want what looks like the shorter path, I risk falling in the slush and getting myself wet and dirty and uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

If I will just take the time to carefully choose what I put on in the morning, and condense my needed items into one bag (which physically now is my Teacher Tote, and spiritually is the umbrella of the grace of God) then I can manage those icy, slushy parts of the path ahead much more easily. And while I have friends who sometimes help clear my path of slush and ice, they don’t come to my house and dress me in the morning. They aren’t always going to be around to lay down salt, or shovel the snow. I mean, they do have other responsibilities.

At some point I have to own my choices and my walk. Lord, help me choose wisely!!

Colossians 3:12-15(
12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.(14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Galatians 5:16-23
(16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.(17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.(18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.(19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,(20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,(21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,(23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.