Since I was a kid and had a cousin point out that they were ugly, I have been self-conscious about my feet. If that wasn’t enough, I broke my middle toe on the couch leg one year and it has never been straight since. To add insult to injury, when I was in an abusive relationship, he made a point to tell me that I should never wear sharp-pointed shoes because it only made my feet look even bigger. Thanks a lot for that unnecessary observation.
For my height, my shoe size is much larger than one might think. I inherited the feet size without the height to match it and am the shortest in my family. It only made it worse when I went to buy running shoes a few years ago and the clerk told me that they recommend runners buy a size up. Now, that hurt my feelings. For years, I would find a super cute pair of size six sitting on the display shelf only to have my excitement replaced with disappointment after trying on my size. They just never looked the same.
Recently, God directed my attention to Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” There is also a longer version of this verse in the OT in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings the good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”
Not only do I share the good news about Christ through this blog, but God has also allowed me to share with others through support groups, a middle school girls’ group, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers on the street.
My feet carry me on God’s path and mission for my life and enable me to run, which is an extension of my time with God. As I strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus, that makes my feet beautiful. God has redeemed so many things from my past, but I just realized that God even redeems hurtful childish remarks so that I can have a new perspective and appreciate that part of myself in a new light.
“God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (Hab. 3:19, ESV).
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