... just can't wait to get to get on the road again...
Did you know there are hundreds of songs that have been written about "the road"? How about the ever-popular: AC/DC – Highway to Hell? Or one from my late teen years: Bachman Turner Overdrive – Roll On Down the Highway? Most folks will remember the melancholy song by the Beatles – Long and Winding Road. The title of this post comes from a line in a song by Willie Nelson – On The Road Again. Do you remember swooning to the velvet voice of Ricky Nelson in "Travelin’ Man"?
And who can forget the ever popular ballad by Loudon Wainwright – Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road?
Most people accept and embrace the belief that life is a journey, and we see journeys as best-lived on roads. In today's modern world most communities have roads that are paved and designed for cars - not for walking. In fact, our communities have been designed to suit a lifestyle that requires the "convenience" of a car and are not able to be easily navigated on foot. As one author commented - try walking around sometime. No, communities are set up to be convenient for CARS. We've got drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru pharmacies, drive-thru convenience stores, and drive-thru car washes.
In the Bible we have a road story. It is also a story about love and a story about TRUTH. What is your story? Where are you on the road with the risen Savior? This weekend I am "on the road again" with friends and strangers building community and watching for time spent with my Lord. Hope to see you at the cross-road!
"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem." ~ Luke 24:13
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
These Shoes were made for Walking!
I've been thinking a lot about shoes lately, more specifically the way I walk in my shoes. I've especially found a lot of comfort in my well-worn slippers with fleece lining even though the temperatures outside have been in the high 80's and low 90's. Don't know why this is, just needing the familiar for some reason. Also I've been remembering those other shoes I have in the piles and closets stashed around the house.
Tucked away in a closet I still have my baby shoes and I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." Just as I was nourished by milk as a human infant, as a newborn Christian I was nourished by the Word of God and by other Christians, and encouraged to grow in my faith.
I have a pair of "Earth" shoes from college days. These shoes have been restitched, reglued and resoled, but they still fit and have served me well for almost 30 years. They bring to my memory the words in 1 Peter 4: 11, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." These shoes have served me well and are a reminder that I am called to do the same as I seek to praise and glorify God.
Some of my favorite shoes are high heels, the ones that say "Let’s have a celebration!" Blue ones with a bow on the back, black ones with a ruffle, clear ones with tiny straps. Each time I put on a pair of these shoes I can’t help but smile and think of Psalm 149:3, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp," and then I just want to dance for joy!
I have lots of other types of shoes in my closet, shoes for working in the yard and for riding the motorcycle. I have sandals for the beach and for the times I get a pedicure. There are well-worn and hardly-worn shoes. There are special occasion and everyday shoes. But what I've often realized is that each pair has a purpose and when I look them over there is a pattern which emerges and mirrors the various seasons of my Christian walk. I see places where heels are worn, toes scuffed, and dirt has worn its way into the fabric. But what I see beyond all of that is the faithfulness of Christ, as he calls to me each day and says, "Follow me."
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
"for we walk by faith, not by sight--" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
Tucked away in a closet I still have my baby shoes and I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." Just as I was nourished by milk as a human infant, as a newborn Christian I was nourished by the Word of God and by other Christians, and encouraged to grow in my faith.
I have a pair of "Earth" shoes from college days. These shoes have been restitched, reglued and resoled, but they still fit and have served me well for almost 30 years. They bring to my memory the words in 1 Peter 4: 11, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." These shoes have served me well and are a reminder that I am called to do the same as I seek to praise and glorify God.
Some of my favorite shoes are high heels, the ones that say "Let’s have a celebration!" Blue ones with a bow on the back, black ones with a ruffle, clear ones with tiny straps. Each time I put on a pair of these shoes I can’t help but smile and think of Psalm 149:3, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp," and then I just want to dance for joy!
I have lots of other types of shoes in my closet, shoes for working in the yard and for riding the motorcycle. I have sandals for the beach and for the times I get a pedicure. There are well-worn and hardly-worn shoes. There are special occasion and everyday shoes. But what I've often realized is that each pair has a purpose and when I look them over there is a pattern which emerges and mirrors the various seasons of my Christian walk. I see places where heels are worn, toes scuffed, and dirt has worn its way into the fabric. But what I see beyond all of that is the faithfulness of Christ, as he calls to me each day and says, "Follow me."
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
"for we walk by faith, not by sight--" ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rejoicing in Walking
For some reason today I have been hanging out on the world-wide-web looking through listings of shoes. As I looked through the various pictures I found an assortment that I would so love to add to my wardrobe and my closet. Most of them would be for work, but some would be for play and to wear on those "just because" days. Check these out - do you see yourself in any one of them? This pair of zebra print shoes makes me think about my "wild" side and the adventures I am looking for each day!
How about these purple pumps? They strike me as the perfect pair for a reward after I have lost the last ten pounds of my diet! That day is getting closer and this may be the perfect incentive. Besides, I know they will look pretty good on me and my personality would really show them off to their full advantage. :)
There is a whole rainbow of colors to choose from on ebay, amazon, and other websites. Prices range from minuscule to the ridiculous! There are conventional choices also - basic black, brown, gray or white. Styles vary from boots, sandals, pumps, and loafers, to espadrilles, sneakers, loafers and ... the list goes on. In other words, there is something for every personality and every taste.
The shoes in the pictures are more to me than fabric and leather or "man-made materials". They are a reflection of the people who wear them. What I really see when I look at a pair of green plaid pumps, or a yellow polka dot pair of flats, or those metallic red peep-toe shoes is the unique person God has created me to be. I see my quirks and my gifts, my talents and my faults in the colors and in the simplicity of the basic everyday. And every once in awhile I will meet someone with that same pair of shoes on and we will have an instant connection. This makes me wonder what other people see when they look at me.
Does someone see me and see a person that loves the Lord? Or do they see someone that talks about the love of the Lord but walks away from someone in need? Does my demeanor reflect my true heart or do I withhold Christ's love from others? As I put my shoes on each morning, I can only pray that whoever I meet throughout the day will see the joy of God's salvation on my face and in every step I walk as I try to follow Him.
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." ~ Isaiah 61:10
How about these purple pumps? They strike me as the perfect pair for a reward after I have lost the last ten pounds of my diet! That day is getting closer and this may be the perfect incentive. Besides, I know they will look pretty good on me and my personality would really show them off to their full advantage. :)
There is a whole rainbow of colors to choose from on ebay, amazon, and other websites. Prices range from minuscule to the ridiculous! There are conventional choices also - basic black, brown, gray or white. Styles vary from boots, sandals, pumps, and loafers, to espadrilles, sneakers, loafers and ... the list goes on. In other words, there is something for every personality and every taste.
The shoes in the pictures are more to me than fabric and leather or "man-made materials". They are a reflection of the people who wear them. What I really see when I look at a pair of green plaid pumps, or a yellow polka dot pair of flats, or those metallic red peep-toe shoes is the unique person God has created me to be. I see my quirks and my gifts, my talents and my faults in the colors and in the simplicity of the basic everyday. And every once in awhile I will meet someone with that same pair of shoes on and we will have an instant connection. This makes me wonder what other people see when they look at me.
Does someone see me and see a person that loves the Lord? Or do they see someone that talks about the love of the Lord but walks away from someone in need? Does my demeanor reflect my true heart or do I withhold Christ's love from others? As I put my shoes on each morning, I can only pray that whoever I meet throughout the day will see the joy of God's salvation on my face and in every step I walk as I try to follow Him.
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." ~ Isaiah 61:10
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