Beautiful Feet

I love music. As the lyrics, melodies, and harmonies weave together through haunting valleys and soaring crescendos, songs penetrate my feelings and touch my heart in their own unique ways.

A few days ago I was listening to “How Beautiful,” by Twila Paris. I’ve known it since I was little, thanks to my parents, but this week one of the lines really hit home and got me thinking: 

“How beautiful, the feet that bring the sound of good news and the love of the King.”

At our ministry site, the girls are barefoot almost 100 percent of the time. So we are, too. Unless we go for a walk or make a quick trip down the street to the market, we don’t have shoes or socks on. We have one shower to share with the 30 girls who live here.

Our feet are filthy.

They are cracked, covered with dirt, red and swollen from bug bites. When one of my teammates got a $3 pedicure at another ministry site across town, the girl painting her toes literally asked what happened to her feet!

The prevalent Buddhist culture in Cambodia supports that sentiment. They view the feet as the most distasteful part of the body, not worthy to be touched or acknowledged.

But our God says our feet are beautiful.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of God.”  ~ Romans 10:15

Because we have come in the name of the Lord, proclaiming His sovereignty and infinite love over the lives of these precious girls, our feet are beautiful.

It just depends on whose eyes we look through, which lens we use to filter our view.

When I look at my feet, I see a nasty, stinky mess of dirt and bugs and grossness. But Kingdom eyes see something lovely and pure.

Kingdom eyes see beauty in the broken. 

Beautiful toes, perfectly formed, and beautiful heels that spur me forward as I speak truth and love in the name of Jesus.   Beautiful feet that support me daily and carry me on.