Women

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All through the wedding, I wanted to cry.

All through the reception, I wanted to cry.

I especially wanted to cry while walking FROM the wedding TO the reception.

My feet were killing me!

Blasted off-white pumps! They looked innocent enough, but like a big fat sin, they pained every inch of my soles, much like an endless cortisone shot that threatened to blow my toes off.

Returning home from the festivities of watching a good friend get married, I entered my house through the garage, those evil off-white pumps in hand. I stopped at the trashcan and opened the lid. In went the shoes, hitting the bottom with a loud, satisfying thud.

And that was that.

Later, I'd think how nice it would be if we could simply discard everything in life that pains us. Those dirty dishes in the sink? Toss 'em! Hubby's high school collection of Rambo memorabilia? Bye-bye! That pile of bills? Hasta la vista, baby!


Now, while the Rambo stuff is definitely at risk, I know better than to toss my dinnerware out the door, or to light a match to the house payment, tempting as it might be. Some things have to be dealt with on an ongoing basis...but what about the things that go beyond life's little nagging nuisances? What about the things that hinder us from enjoying Jesus' promise in John 10:10:

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (NIV)

We all want a full life, but certain things can cause us to come up short. A sin we just can't shake, an attitude that oppresses, a fear that won't subside, a habit we can't break, a conscience ridden with guilt, a personality that seeks control or a heart saturated with envy. There are, I imagine, enough deterrents to happiness to fill a Birkenstock warehouse.

What do we do?

First, we take heart because the Bible says, "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the son of God." (1 John 5:5, NIV)

Jesus has made it possible for us to win our wars and lock our oppressors away.

But...what's the strategy?

In Hebrews 12:1, we're encouraged us to" throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." In verses 2 and 3, we're told how to do it:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (NIV)

A good example of why we should focus on Christ is Peter, who did the seemingly impossible feat of walking on water. (Matthew 14) Peter stayed upright and afloat as long as his eyes were focused on the Lord; it's when he turned his eyes to the wind, and began to doubt, that he took on the characteristics of lead boots.

In other words, the man was sinking. His walk was submerged in the weight of water.

I remember when those off-white pumps submerged my walk-and I'm talking my literal, physical walk, that had me shuffling about the wedding as though demonstrating to the bride and groom what a ball and chain will do to you.

What a burden! But-ahhhhhh-what a relief when I kicked those shoes off. No, the throbbing didn't stop immediately, but my toes rejoiced-they had hope.

And that's exactly what we have when we cast our cares upon the Lord. "Do not be anxious about anything," we read in Philippians 4:6, and then in verse 13: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (both NIV)

Let's live our lives to the full, and start by giving all those ill-fitting burdens to the Lord, so that we, too, can say: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on to the heights." (Habakkuk 3:19, NIV)

Praise God for Jesus...and for flip-flops, which happens to be what I'll wear to the next wedding I attend, even if it's Black Tie.

And why not? Flip flops come in black.

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