Monday, December 16, 2024
“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” - Ephesians 5: 13
“Going Barefoot”
So often in our time as Global Ministries missionaries, people would say to Tim and me, “Thank you for being willing to serve God’s people around the world. You must have blessed many people.” However, each time I heard this, I thought, “We are the ones who are blessed. It is we who have learned so much from so many and, as a result, our lives are forever changed by our experiences.”
For example, during our time in Haiti, I met a young woman missionary through the church that we attended. As was our habit, she and I often found time to talk after church and as I listened to her stories I began to visualize heartwarming pictures of life in a rural community. Indeed, I was keen to know more about rural life as most of our ministry took place in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
One story that caught my attention in particular was captured in her blog and entitled, “I Will Go Barefoot for You.” It was about two young boys who attended the school where this young woman taught. The first boy stood outside of the school gate and would not enter because he did not have clean clothes and his uniform had been given away. His teacher was able to coax him into coming to school by saying, “We care more about what is in your head than what is on your body.”
The story continues a day or so later with a second young boy, “Then they saw another one of their classmates standing outside the gate. He, too, had dirty clothes. They called to him, “Come in,” they implored. “Come in and be with us.”
He too shouted back, “I cannot. My uniform is dirty. I am not clean enough to come in.” So, they got out of their chairs, went to him, grabbed him and slapped his back and told him, “Your clothes do not matter.”
Despite his enthusiasm for being wanted he still resisted. “No, I cannot, I do not even have shoes,” he said. Another student calmly bent down and untied his own shoes. He handed them to his dirty-clothed classmate and said, “Here, you can wear mine for today, I will go barefoot for you.”
I love the simplicity of this story. The children innocently set an example for all as they acted on what was dark (a uniform given away or possibly even sold out of need; poverty that keeps parents from being able to buy shoes for their child) and helped it to become light.
The season of Advent is truly a time of light for me. Preparing our hearts for the birth of all that is good coming into our world, we fill the air by singing beloved hymns and we illumine our homes and neighborhoods with colorful lights. We cannot contain our sense of joy and wonder and so we reach out to others with boxes of needed food; we find time to visit those who are alone; we quietly give money to programs to help families struggling to pay high utility bills; and we delight in surprising children who have little with beautifully decorated gifts. Yes, our desire is to bring the Light to our world.
My prayer for you, dear reader, is that your heart will press you into going “barefoot” for others during Advent this year. My fervent prayer is that your bare feet will take you into the New Year and beyond.
In the Name of the One Who Knelt Down to Wash Feet,
P. Diane Fonderlin
Pastor, First Christian Church of Girard, OH
Prayer: “Lord God, we ask for courageous hearts, humble spirits and, yes, even strong feet as we walk in the Light of Jesus Christ.” Amen.