These are big flip-flops to fill! Nathan wants to be just like Daddy: wants to wear Daddy's hats, eat what Daddy eats, and walk in Daddy's shoes. The shoes are presenting the most difficulty thus far. Every time Nathan gets them on he tries to stand and says, "Uh-oh." I ask if the shoes are too big. He doesn't seem to think that could possibly be the problem. Aren't he and Daddy the same size? He sits back down and tries to adjust the sandals so they fit properly. On and on this goes. I like looking at those little feet as they aim to fill much bigger shoes. I want to tell Nathan that it is good to know people who have 'big shoes'--figuratively, of course.I know lots of people who have flip-flops that I cannot fill. For good, wholesome reasons (like incredible patience, integrity, kindness, compassion, and conviction) I keep wishing I could be more like them...a little closer to their shoe size, if you will. I hope that I can grow big, Godly feet so that Nathan's little feet will strive to fill my shoes...and one day, I hope he has shoes bigger than his Mommy's...closer to the size of Jesus' shoes.
Yesterday I took Nathan to the beach. He noticed our footprints in the sand for the first time. We could trace every step we took by looking at those marks. It made me smile to watch small, chubby footprints chasing my own footprints down the beach. I started thinking that if we walked on that beach for the length of our lifetimes, we would watch as Nathan's feet grew and eventually became bigger than mine. I hope that the physical act of growing is reflected spiritually, too. I hope that as Nathan watches his Mommy and Daddy walk ahead of him on the beach, that he will see reflections of Jesus that challenge him to grow larger feet.
Walking the "straight and narrow" is easier with big feet!
2 comments:
I love the picture and I love your blog post. I want the same thing as you- I want to have a shoe size closer to Jesus' show size. I know I'll never get there completely but I want to be close. What an amazing picture of our walk with God that you painted in how you were telling about you and Nathan walking on the beach. I often feel like I am Nathan's size chasing after God's huge footprints. Just like Nathan's footprints grow bigger as he gets older, I want my footprints to get bigger as I become more like Jesus. Thank you for such a beautiful reminder of our own Christian walk and the way our children follow our walk.
As I read through this latest post of yours, Rachel, I was reminded of a verse that used to come to mind as each of my little ones were just beginning to walk and they would hold my hand and try to take really big steps to keep up . . . "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Gal 5:25) I think it just gave me a picture of such total dependence of little ones, but such a gracious God to hold our hands and lead us step by step -- there He is leading the way, holding onto us and bidding us to "keep in step." All of us need people who have "big flip flops" who we can look up to, admire, and aim our lives to reach their spiritual maturity -- but I'm thankful that although even if those people let us down (because they do!), Jesus never does. I will never be disappointed or ashamed if I follow hard after Him, running the race to see Him face to face. Blessings to your dear family today!
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