Feet are a big deal.
For some reason I have been thinking about feet a lot lately. I don't know if I just have a bad case of the Foot, or what, but I feel like there has been a lot of discussion about feet in my life lately. Probably because I had an incident last week that made mine look like they were going to fall off (more about that later)... but really I have been having a lot of "feety" thoughts lately... so I figured I would share.
I searched the scriptures to see how often "feet" were mentioned... and I got a HUGE amount of results. Here are a few:
For some reason I have been thinking about feet a lot lately. I don't know if I just have a bad case of the Foot, or what, but I feel like there has been a lot of discussion about feet in my life lately. Probably because I had an incident last week that made mine look like they were going to fall off (more about that later)... but really I have been having a lot of "feety" thoughts lately... so I figured I would share.
I searched the scriptures to see how often "feet" were mentioned... and I got a HUGE amount of results. Here are a few:
Exodus 21:24
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot ...John 12:3
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Doctrine and Covenants 84:109
109 Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand? John 13:14
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 3 Nephi 17:10
10 And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears. Mark 9:45
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Doctrine and Covenants 60:15
15 And shake off the dust of thy feet against those who receive thee not, not in their presence, lest thou provoke them, but in secret; and wash thy feet, as a testimony against them in the day of judgment. Acts 14:10
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. Luke 24:40
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. Exodus 3:5
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
There are SO many stories about feet! There are lessons to be learned from all of them. I will let the spirit speak to you as to what you can take away from these scriptures, and I will tell you a few of my own feet stories:
Story ONE -
I was probably six years old. During a highly competitive round of cabin games, I jumped off the back porch of the patio and the patio and landed on an overturned board with nails sticking up. One of the nails went right through my cool Ninja Turtle velcro shoes. I screamed. Dad came running. They pulled me off the board and took me to Uncle Manx to get my foot cleaned up and make sure I didn't have tetanus or whatever. Lesson learned - "look before you leap."
Story TWO -
When I was 15/16 our stake went on a pioneer trek. We bussed out to Wyoming and walked the route that the pioneers did. We pulled handcarts up hills, over rivers, and thought Martin's Cove. It was pretty cool. Jay and I thought that we were really cool and decided to "get the real pioneer experience" and do the whole thing barefoot. Turns out it was genius because the paths were soft most of the way and we didn't have any shoes to get blisters from. So while everyone else was dealing with moleskin and crying that their blisters popped, we just laughed. However, this soft dirt didn't last the ENTIRE TIME. The few mile section in Martin's Cove was covered in tiny, sharp rocks. These rocks were the kind that cripple you as you try to run across the road barefoot... and the place was full of them. Long story short, my feet hurt SO BAD... there were a couple of times that I felt pretty dumb for choosing to go barefoot. But, I was determined and made the whole thing. I can say that I really did gain a deeper appreciation for the saints that came across in the dead of winter without shoes... Yeah okay, my feet weren't freezing cold - but I did feel pain. Lesson learned - The pioneers were tough.
Story THREE -- This last year, as I spent time in California with Madison's dad, I watched as her Uncle Scott would massage Madison's Dad's feet every morning. Her dad couldn't move his feet at all, and the little bit of mobilization got the blood flowing and had to feel SO GOOD. This one thing he did every morning is symbolic of the love and care that he would give throughout the day. He would dress, feed, help in the bathroom, and watch YouTube and cycling videos with his brother all day every day. Scott was literally and angel human for Tracy. Lesson learned - Love your brother!
- Story FOUR -
Two weekends ago, around mile 19 or so in the St. George Marathon, as Madison and I took a few seconds to stretch out our untrained legs, I looked down at my feet and saw that my right shoe was bloody. I knew my feet were hurting, but I didn't know I was bleeding! From then on, it was a mental game. I didn't look at them again until the end of the race. I knew that if I took my shoe off at that moment and tried to "fix the problem" that I wouldn't finish the race. So I ignored it. At the end of the 26.2 miles, I removed my shoes and my socks only to find the gnarliest blisters I have ever seen. I was messed up - BUT I FINISHED. Lesson learned - I can do hard things when I CHOOSE not to give up. - Who knew there were so many lessons to be learned from feet!?! I am sure that by the end of this mortal race, not only will I have bloody feet, but my hands, knees and probably elbows will be bloody from crawling to that finish line. BUT - I am going to make it! And when I get there, I don't care how bloody my feet and knees are, I will kneel at Christ's pierced feet and thank Him for helping me make it home.
- Here is a picture of the nasties, in case you were curious:
