Washing Each Other's Feet

A while ago, I shared about serving one another in love and recently my three year old gave me a great reminder of that. We were in our school room starting our Bible time when I felt someone playing with my slippers. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he wanted to clean my feet. This is not the first time he has kindly used a cloth and cream to "clean" my feet, but it was his funniest for timing. Since he is not school aged, he is allowed to play while the rest of us focus on Bible, so...while I read to the others, my feet were gently cared for and by the end, I was a very relaxed mommy.

I have thought of him over and over, hunched under the desk so sweetly "cleaning" my feet and I just keep thinking about Jesus and his disciples. In John 13, we are told that Jesus knew his time on earth had come to an end and he wanted to show the full extent of his love - so he chose to wash his disciples feet. When he was finished he further instructed the disciples, starting in verse 14, by saying, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you...Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

God used my three year old to set an example, just as Jesus set for his disciples, and it encouraged me to keep loving and serving. It also made me more aware of watching for opportunities that I can continue to serve my family in. We all need to have real ways that we can see and touch, like I experienced in the school room.

Not all three year olds will wash our feet, but we all need to be loved in the ways we receive it. Jesus not only encouraged us to do the same as he did, but he said we will be blessed if we do them. I know I want to be open to as much blessing as God has - do you?

Don't give up and keep washing those feet - as moms, we have so many ways we can wash feet. There are the tub times when we really do get to wash those real feet, or maybe your husbands rough day and you pull his foot into your lap to massage it for a while - you might not "feel" like it at first, but make the "choice" and your feelings will follow. Look for those opportunities - they are out there and you will be blessed!