Troubled Feet

When I ran a marathon long ago, and went completely lame afterwards, I discovered that I was missing a bone in my foot. Well, technically I was not missing the bone, the podiatrist informed me. A bone that should have been two bones was fused into one. Thus, I have always had feet issues and have always been on a quest to find shoes that remain comfortable. It is a never ending quest.

This summer I had found perfect sandals that I have been able to walk miles in without pain. But strangely, and rather suddenly, I have developed pain in the top of my foot. The wonderful sandals are a little less wonderful and my right foot hurts across the top no matter what shoe I wear. My self-diagnosis through the wonder of the internet reveals two probable causes. First cause: the strap across the top of my foot from my wonderful sandal is pressing on a nerve, and it is angry and inflamed. Second cause: stress fracture.

It is disheartening when after much toil and trouble, you think you have finally solved the problem, and then, despite your best efforts, you are right back at square one. Same problem, new circumstances. Will you never overcome? Will life always be a circle of pain and struggle? Will the shoe always end up hurting in the end?

This is not a new problem. Look at the book of Judges. Israel sins, Israel calls on God for help, God raises a Judge to help Israel, Israel repents, struggles subside, Israel becomes complacent, Israel sins...etc etc etc....

Is there no hope then? Are we always to be on this self perpetuating cycle of struggle, relief, complacency, and then wheeling right back into struggle? No! There is victory even in the dismal cycle of sin recounted in Judges. Caleb, whose name, by the way, means "whole-hearted", is completely devoted to God and he breaks the cycle through his wholehearted devotion and faith and trust in God. One key, and I am sure there are many, is to take our eyes off of the problems, the deficiencies, the struggles, and put them wholeheartedly on God. Do what He says with instant obedience and trust, and let Him work out the details. Caleb did not fear the giants in the Promised Land, but instead trusted God and His command to enter the Land. In the end, Caleb was rewarded and secured victory for his people. He focused not on his weakness, but on God's strength.

So back to my hurting foot. yay Caleb! But how does that help my foot? Well, it doesn't, not directly. But every time it throbs, perhaps it will remind me that we may walk in pain, but if our steps are in the right direction, there is a day when that pain will no longer matter. Keep our feet wholeheartedly on the path to God! When we reach Him, He will be the victory and the cycle of sin will be forever broken.

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They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:26-30 NIV)


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