Ephesians 6
14Stand firm .......
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Tuesday of this past week, Todd and I made a quick trip after school to Huntington (the nearest town with a large sportings good store), because Todd needed a new tennis racket and shoes before tennis practice on Friday.
We found the racket fairly easily and then set out into the mall to look for shoes. After having trouble finding a shoe in the right size that Todd felt would work, we learned that the store we had started out in actually sold shoes too! (Ok, I really don't get out enough, I know.)
Anyway, we headed back to our original starting point and very simply found just what Todd liked in the right size within minutes!!! I was so happy!!!!
We paid for the shoes and head
ed home.
ed home.Several days passed by, and the shoes sat in their bag by the door.
On Friday, Todd had tennis practice and pulled out the shoes to put them on. Immediately he discovered that although the box said 11 1/2, we had somehow gotten home with one shoe that was a size 9! I couldn't believe it! How could we have been so careless!?!
Fortunately, one of my friends offered to exchange them for me while she was that direction on Saturday (Thank you, Brooke!). I was very thankful, since I was going the opposite direction for the entire day and didn't know when I'd get a chance to make that trip again....like I said, "I don't get out much!"
Before I took the shoes to Brooke, though, I told her I had to take a picture!!! I was already feeling a little message the minute Todd showed me our "mistake."
It was obvious to Todd as soon as he began to put on the size 9 shoe that it was not going to work. His first thought was that one of Olivia's shoes had gotten into the box. He knew there was no way to make the shoe fit.
When I think of Todd trying to make the wrong size shoe fit, I think of the verse that says that we need to have our "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace."
Have you ever felt unprepared for what life has handed you?
I have.
Have you ever felt uncomfortable with what you have said, how you have reacted, or how you feel about a situation?
I have.
Have you ever realized that your walk doesn't match your talk?
I have.
Just like Todd trying to work with his mis-matched shoes, I sometimes try to make it with one foot in the world and one in the Word.
But it's not enough to have one shoe walking with God.
One shoe "ready" with the gospel of peace.
Not if the other shoe is the wrong size. The wrong words. The wrong behavior. The wrong message. The wrong emotions.
Believe me. This shoe-shopping error was no accident.
No, God had something to say to me.
Just because the label says, "11 1/2," or in my case, "Christian," doesn't guarantee that what's on the inside always makes sense or is always right.
No. I have to be sure ALL of me matches!
I need to look deep inside and make sure BOTH of my feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.
And I need to look now......why?
Because God longs for me to be "fitted with readiness!"
I can no longer allow my "spiritual fitness" to sit in a bag by the door until I am called upon to need it. When I do, then I am unprepared for the next practice or the next game. God calls us to be READY! And to be FITTED!
But, one foot isn't enough.
He demands our all. Our everything. Our every action. Our every word. Our every thought.
Anything less just doesn't fit His plans. His purpose. His call.
Determined to start my week by exchanging all of those things that hold me back from walking totally in His Will for things that "fit,"
5 Comments:
Tammy,
It amazes me how much insight you have. I would never have taken away those thoughts from that experience. I would have been upset and annoyed that I got 2 shoes of different sizes.
Thank you for sharing your experiences in the light of God's lessons. Your blogs are better for me than any devotions I read in a book.
Tammy
What a great devotion Tammy!
I think there are many of us who don't try on shoes on until we HAVE to. How much better to be ready and prepared. Great words and ones I need to hear. I find that I am in the Word more during a crisis. When will I learn that I need His Word just like I need food & drink.
By the way, my son has those shoes. ha
Love ya Tammy!!
Tammy,
I have to totally agree with the other Tammy......"Your blogs are better for me too than any devotions I read in a book". You really are amazing!!!
Charlotte
I am also amazed at how you can look at a situation and put it into a spiritual context.
I know whenever I buy shoes, the clerk always looks in the box to make sure that they match! But I can see that the reason it didn't happen in this case was because it was setting the stage for another lesson!
I am also so blessed by your blog!
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