Going through life barefoot

If you were like me, most of my childhood was spent barefoot. Even though we lived primarily in the city, we always found a grassy area to frolick in. Now some of those times we would come home with something unwanted in our feet. Like glass or a bee stinger. But most of the time, it felt so good to play down in a creek or dig our toes in the dirt. There is something to be said for that lifestyle. But when it comes to life, most people are afraid to unbuckle their sandals.

Living barefoot, usually means you have to watch where you step.

When we tramp through life with our shoes on we tend not to notice the places we put our feet. How many times have you trampled through life running not watching where you step? There are definitely moments in life that you need your running shoes on, but if you never wear your flip flops, your life will not be balanced. It's when you are barefoot that you can see the beauty in the things God has placed around you. Whether it is the wildflower, or the caterpiller or even the chalk drawing on the sidewalk made by the kids next door. My yoga teacher likes to call it living inentionally. Thinking about all of your steps and words and everything you do before you do it. Having a purpose in your walk, means that you are open to the possibility that God has a purpose for you. If you think about it God has specifically placed you in this time era. Not in the cowboys and indians era, or the victorian era, but now. And not only in this time but in this area. were you born in China, or Hawaii or Oklahoma? Where are you now? What purpose does God have for you being in this place right now? He also placed you with your family for a reason. Many people look to their families as crazy and bothersome. They get in the way of our hopes and dreams and our future. But what if you saw that God placed you with these people for a reason? What if you took off your shoes and played in the sandbox with them and looked for a reason to be in their life? What if you saw the beauty that God sees in them, His creation? Watching where we step can mean seeing the catapiller that you would have stepped on if we would have had shoes on.

Living barefoot, can mean that occasionally we step on a nail.

I have pulled many a bee stinger out of my foot. Something about those clovers they like very much. Living intentionally doesn't mean that you won't run into trouble. But there is purpose in those nails and bee stings too. Even the most thoughtful and intentional people, get hurt sometimes. It is hard to see why God lets us go through the pain and trials in life. I know it always isn't true. But many people are so busy running their lives that they never slow down. And God is all about slowing us down. He wants our shoes off, walking with Him, and sometimes He wants to carry us. But many of us ignore the little signs in life that show the dangers ahead. And if we don't see the dangers ahead we sometimes fall into the hole. And sometimes there is no seeing the danger before it creeps up on us and our family. Deaths and sickness are hard to deal with. It feels like we have been transported to a different world, that is unfamiliar and scary. Sometimes God uses this time to make us seek Him. Some of us would never rely on Him if we weren't faced with incredible pain and uncertainty. And sometimes the pain is just a side effect of this sinful world and the sinful people that live in it. So remember when you step on that nail, that you could put back on your shoes and never feel again, or you can trust that God has a plan for this pain, heal up and get back out in the sand box tomorrow.

Living barefoot, can mean your shoes are in good shape for later.

Like I said, there are occasions for those running shoes. When running for the Lord, it is with intentional purpose and you are guided by the Creator Himself. But if we are running for ourselves, the path is full of potholes and obsticles. No one starts running a marathon after years on the couch in one day. It takes training and practice. And most experienced runners have shoes that they use for running only, and they are careful what they do with those shoes. They are tools that they have for a specific task. In the same way, when we live intentionally we usually are more aware of the shoes God has given us and we are more aware of when we are to use them. I was given the gift of song, but if I only sang to the radio and not used my gift for God's glory, I would lose it. In the same way, if God gave you the gift of speech, but you used your gift to tear people down with sarcasm and wit, you would be using that gift in the wrong way. We should be intentional with our gifts. Careful to use them at the right times and in the right moments, but not hiding them away in the closet to get dusty and dirty. Taking care of the things that God has given you,whether it is family, friends, a house, a dog or a pair of shoes. You have been given that gift for a reason, cherish it and use it!


So what have you been doing to live intentionally? Do you ever take your shoes off, and if not what are you afraid of?