Live Where Your Feet Are

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. :) I hope you’ve made yourself comfortable. Take a deep breath in. Hold it. Now breathe out slowly. Relax your shoulders. Take another deep breath and slowly exhale while you close your eyes. There. You slowed down for a brief moment.

Life is made up of moments. My guess is that as you read the first paragraph and took those relaxing breaths, you weren’t thinking of much else besides what you were doing in the moment. (Unless of course you tried to quickly read this while your little one was fussing, your dog was letting you know she needed to go out, or the phone just rang.) There are so many things that clamor for our attention each day, but we can learn to savour the pleasurable moments, no matter how brief, and therein be refreshed.

One year while I was working through the spring and summer months, I was bemoaning the fact that we couldn’t take a couple of weeks off work. Thankfully I came to the realization that, although I wasn’t getting the extended holiday I was wishing for, I could have mini holidays… even every day… mini being the key word. When the sunshine broke through the clouds just as my day at work was ending, I recognized this was the moment to celebrate - the moment to delight in and be refreshed. Another day, it was enjoying an unhurried dinner on the deck with music in the background. Taking a long bath and enjoying it for what it truly is – a wonderful luxury. Relaxing as I read a few chapters in a novel that transported me to a different time and place. Having tea with a friend (haven’t learned to like coffee yet). A morning walk… an evening walk…a late night walk. Getting my bare hands into the soft, cool dirt as I transplanted flowers. Playing a game with my daughter. Cuddling my grandbaby. Watching a video with my husband or family.

That year I became aware of celebrating and cherishing the moments… without wishing for something more than I had. In this time when we’re possibly faced with more financial challenges, this attitude can guard our hearts. We can savour the simple things. We can be thankful for what we have. And not give way to fear.

That’s the second part of this - to not give way to fear. The concerns and worries that we have can keep us from fully engaging in the moment. You know… your body’s here but your mind is off somewhere else. Here’s where we need to stop again. Take a look at your feet. You don’t have to take off your socks or slippers, just look down at your feet. Where are they? Now where are you?

Hopefully I’ve managed to hold your attention and you also are where your feet are. The title of today’s blog is my latest saying that I often remind myself of. Live where your feet are. If my feet are under the kitchen table during dinner, be there – be engaging there. If my foot is on the gas pedal of my car, enjoy the drive. How many times has the concern of being late made me resent the red lights, the stupid driver in front of me, my kids for being too slow, and myself for not being more organized? Countless! Enjoy the drive. I’ll get there when I get there.

And what of those worries! That’s been subject material for several blogs at Soul Kitchen. You’ll find them under “anxious thoughts.” We invent worries and then live in response to what we’ve conjured up in our minds. Or more accurately, we live according to the fears the enemy speaks to our minds. I quote a comment someone made on another blog I sometimes read, “My worries hardly ever do provide what they promise.”

This comment convicted me. I thought back to all the things I had worried about – feared. And with each fear, I recalled the emotions, the tears or in some cases outbursts, and also plans of action I made to prepare for that worry’s inevitable outcome. And did the worry provide what it promised? No. So, all that time, energy, and emotion was for…nothing. I just got hurt by the process and others were hurt as well.

Consider this. God’s promises are sure. He always provides what He promises. The Word of God is full of promises. You probably have many tucked away in your heart that you cling to. If not, ask God to show you some of His promises that He wants to encourage you with. When I read 1 Peter 5:7 in The Message, God made that message go to the core of my being and the result was a tremendous freedom for me.

Live carefree before God; He is most careful with you.

We can trust God. He is faithful to all His promises. He is good and He is God. He came so that we might have life and have it to the full. Rest in Him, and live where your feet are.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance The Lord be with you all! 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Painting: 'Dancing on the Shore' by Steve Hanks