The Blonde was gone for a solid week. We have not spent a lot of time away from each other in almost 40 years of marriage so I had some withdrawal issues. The 23-yearold who used to live at our house (youngest daughter Klaire) had her wisdom teeth removed so Jen went down to Houston to play nurse.
The good news from this traumatic event is we try to eat healthy at our house but since I don’t cook I got to eat junk food for a week. I am proof that you can live on hot dogs, salami sandwiches, potato chips, peanut M&M’s and Pop-Tarts.
With the wife gone I got to take over some of her house duties. I have been doing the dishes, scooping the litter box (ugh), making my own coffee, watering the plants and refilling the Hint Water in the refrigerator. Did I mention scooping the cat box because I meant to? No doubt running the house is a fulltime gig. I was super blessed to have Jennifer iron all of my clothes before she left (I know, I’m spoiled) so there were some things I did not have to do. I’m thankful she will be back home today because I love this woman. She is my best friend and I have missed her big time. I am also glad she is coming home today because the laundry hamper is full, full, full.
The truth is it was good for her to be gone and for me to walk in her shoes. She works hard and I am the one who benefits in so many ways. There is no doubt I will do more around the house and make this partnership more equitable for her.
All of this reminded me of how 1st John 2:6 tells us to, “walk in the same way which He walked.” The He in this passage is Jesus. I know, in part, what it is like to walk in Jennifer’s Tory Burch sandals, but what about walking in the flip flops of Christ? What does that look like? In John Stott’s mini-book, The Radical Disciple he tells us this is about “Christ-Likeness” and we can be like Christ through service, through love and in mission.
One example we have in Scripture about how Jesus served others is in John 13. Jesus leaves the table to wash the feet of His disciples and then He commands (please note it’s not a suggestion) us, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you” (verses 14-15). Christ doesn’t mean we should literally wash each other’s feet, but we should serve one another. How’s this going in your life? Are you a consumer or a contributor?
Ephesians 5:2 says we are to, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved.” Wait, what? Love the unlovely? Me?! How are you offering tangible expressions of God’s love to others? This requires sacrifice, doesn’t it? Jesus went to the cross, He put others first, He left that front row seat and bent down to wash the feet of even Judas the betrayer. How’s your love game going?
Finally, we are to walk like Christ in mission. In John 17:18 and 20:21 we are told that Jesus was “sent” by the Father and that we should practice “sentness” as well. Typically, we think of this as going and telling others about the Lord, but let’s think about this in terms of entering into the world of others because that’s what Jesus did. I don’t know about your world, but my world is full of things that are not so great like sin, sickness and death. How are we at rolling up our sleeves and being a part of other people’s lives? When I say that I’m not talking about being a nosy neighbor like Gladys Kravitz, but rather like our gentle Lord & Savior. Do others hear the sound of our soft sandaled feet?
He asked me to ask you that.
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