Barefoot

Its summertime and I love going barefoot. The grass underfoot is God's carpet. Even the scorching heat of a blacktop road is a summertime kiss to the soles of my feet. A quick dash to the water hose and they cool instantly...only to do a quick tap dance in the puddles for a summer mud bath.

When fall comes to town I will reluctantly pull on socks and shoes. And for those first few weeks of autumn, my shoes are a bit tight. You see, my feet had all summer with no boundaries--no socks, no laces, no rigid sole to keep my feet contained. The bones and tissue have to be pulled back into place to fit into the constraints of shoes.

In Exodus, there is another man who went barefoot. His livelihood depended on his feet. He was a shepherd in the rocky regions of the Middle East. He had to protect his feet with thick sandals because his walk was through an arid, rocky wilderness.

One day he saw a light on a hillside. When he walked closer, he noticed it was a bush on fire. What was different is that the bush did not burn up. It continued to be engulfed in flames. It was mesmerizing. As he drew near a voice came from the bush that burned and called him by name. Can you imagine? Out in the middle of nowhere and a bush knows a man's name.

He walks closer, saying "Here I am Lord."

Then the voice said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." (Exodus 3:5)

This ended up being a pivotal point in the life of Moses. It was his call to action, but first he had to go barefoot. You see it was God who was speaking to him from that bush that didn't burn up. And for a mere man to be in the presence of God, it was considered holy ground. He had to remove his shoes, because they had been everywhere. Probably had some sheep stuff stuck to the bottom, or a bug he had squished earlier in the day. It was a sign of reverence to remove your sandals.

So what am I getting at? Well lately I feel like my spiritual shoes are too tight. I've been enjoying a new Bible study, getting fired up by my pastor's sermons, waking up with worship music in my head and just enjoying the glow from a fire that does not consume me. I'm on holy ground and I don't want to put my shoes back on.

So where does a Christian go from here? Do I purchase a bigger size in shoes? Or do I stay barefoot? For now, until God tells me what I need to do, I'll enjoy this summertime of my soul. Won't you join me? Kick off your shoes dear reader; join me as we walk on holy ground.

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" Romans 10:15