March 19-Servant of All

Happy Tuesday! I’m so happy to see the sun but after only a couple of days of warm weather here, I’m sneezing like a crazy woman! I did decide though that it was almost time to let the toes out to see the sun and I thought “Surely I can save a couple of dollars and paint my own toes!” Every year or so I try this one time and then I remember why I don’t do this myself—I’m terrible at it! A friend said “How big of a paint brush did you use?” (Ha-ha, very funny.) Some people (like me) are just not good with the details of life—Toenails being one of those details. 


As I tried to clip and file and rub off rough spots, I once again realized how difficult it is to mess with feet. To take care of someone else’s feet is a humbling experience. For obvious reasons, I’ve not given too many pedicures, but I have given a few. There is a special feeling of denying yourself, forgetting about you, and concentrating on another person, when you take on someone’s foot care. 


The church of my childhood and most of my adult life practices foot washing as part of the Lord’s Table. It is a ritual of helping to remember how Jesus, our greatest example, lowered Himself to His disciples’ feet. One of His last interactions with them was that of washing their feet in a perfect illustration of grace and humility. 


“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”...When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13:4-7, 12-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬


Humility is not thinking badly of yourself, but rather just not thinking of yourself but of others. Washing another’s feet, doing the meekest of care for them, is what Jesus wants us to do for each other. What ever someone needs, never thinking we are too good to help. Immediately I think of those sweet caregivers of my mother who help her with everything—literally. 


Jesús Messiah thank you for such a beautiful example of servant leadership. You humbly took on the role of a human to give us a view of God in the flesh and began to show us how we could live to serve others and strive to be more like you. You were humbled yourself at the feet of your followers so we can see a picture of exactly what it means to serve. Your greatest act of love and service provided grace for all mankind. You are an amazing God and we sing praises to you this day. We ask for your blessing and for you to go before us. We love you Lord. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more