Friday, December 12, 2008

beautiful feet


Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Isaiah 53:4

Sometimes it just seems like too much.

In the past two weeks, our small community has lost five teenagers.  Four of those to suicide.  An eighth grader from my daughter's school was buried yesterday.  He was hit by a car.

Today Angie Hunt is singing at her father's funeral.

Denis has stomach cancer and will have surgery on Monday.

Brenda is having a health crisis involving several new, serious diagnoses.

Sandy's husband was murdered a couple of weeks ago.

Linda is recovering from ovarian cancer and Judy from breast cancer.

These are examples just from my small frame of reference.  My little world has this much suffering.  So multiply it exponentially to get the bigger picture.  Not everyone will have a Merry Christmas.

Yet, Jesus is acquainted with our grief.  He knows pain and suffering.  

When one of my kids asked why I had a picture of a foot on my blog, I said, "Because it's Christmas and Jesus got feet."  He traded feet like bronze for feet of flesh.  Pudgy little feet with ten little piggies.  He stubbed his toes.  He stepped on splinters and stickers and rocks.  Nails were pounded into that flesh.

I know that during the thirty-three years that He wore those feet, he experienced grief and loss.  Joseph isn't mentioned in Jesus' adulthood, so obviously he died.  Jesus knows our pain.  We are never alone in our suffering.

If this Christmas is a difficult one for you, cling to the deeper truth of the Holiday.  Jesus put on flesh, suffered and died.  God came down to walk with us.  He walks with us still.  Forget the bells and tinsel, the egg nog and cookies and cling to the one who has walked where you walk.  He hasn't been in your shoes; He's been in your feet.



9 comments:

  1. Jeaus got feet? I love it.

    So much pain and suffering, and yet we have HOPE because of Christmas. Because of Him we can face the hardest of circumstances and rest assured He will sustain us.

    My word for 2009 is HOPE - not the empty feel good HOPE as a certain politician spouts, but eternal HOPE that endures despite what life throws at us.

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  2. I love that last sentence. "He hasn't been in your shoes; He's been in your feet." Made me feel better. thanks.

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  3. That was very touching. I'm so sorry for all the pain your friends and community have experience.

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  4. Hi Melanie..Very nice blog.. Also I noticed that one of your favorite movies are "O brother where art thou"..I love that movie and have that soundtract cd..Also we have some more of the same interests..Well anyway, Great blog and love the name..Keep up the good work..

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  5. Great post! Much suffering in the circle of people I know as well. I'm sure we could all list so much pain that we could cry buckets. BUT JESUS!!!!

    I love your new header picture with the feet too - reminds me of my new little one.

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