From the moment I said “Yes!” to the World Race I knew my feet were in for quite a journey. I knew they’d come home with many scrapes, cuts, and callouses. I knew they’d be blistered, cracked, covered in dirt, mud, and other questionable things…and I knew I’d get the inevitable
WR Chaco tan line.
What I didn’t know, however, was that they’d have a story to tell of their own…
These feet boarded a plane leaving the United States (and the luxury of a pedicurist) 11 months ago. They paused as they took their first steps onto foreign soil and then danced in excitement. They learned to leave their shoes at the door when entering someone’s home and how to balance on tightly crowded buses. They climbed 700+ steps to reach a giant Buddha statue, and hiked for hours upon hours up and down the Nepali mountainsides to fellowship with Christian locals. These feet walked across the dirt thresholds of numerous huts, and they learned how to strategically straddle the squatty potty. They slipped on countless rocks, crossed high bridges, and plunged into freezing river water. These feet walked the streets of several markets, held me steady while standing in the back of trucks, and they jumped back and forth across the China border.
These feet have hung outside autos & tuk-tuks, and dodged them in busy traffic. They ran after kids at the park, and lost their balance in the Indian Ocean waves. They danced on rooftops, and they fell asleep countless times while precious kids slept in my lap. These feet walked the beach of the infamous James Bond Island, stepped on shells and broken coral, and kept me balanced on the neck of an elephant. They’ve walked across garbage-filled Gypsy Sea villages and through ancient wonders of the world. They’ve peddled nervously through the dirt & mud on bicycles, and splashed into
numerous sloppy puddles.
These feet have tripped, fallen, and caused sprained ankles; hobbled to and fro. They happily jumped around in new shoes, and then painfully screamed from the agony of new-shoe blisters. They navigated (and got lost on) the streets of several unknown towns and cities, paced the floors of foreign classrooms, and stood frozen in awe under the African stars. They’ve gotten buried and stuck in mud, adorned the dreaded socks with sandals, and frantically leaped around to escape unnaturally large insects.
These feet have taken me up the side of mountains, and danced once they reached the top. They walked through poverty-stricken neighborhoods, chased after kids (and lost) in intense games of duck-duck-goose, and stumbled through learning new dance moves. They’ve dangled off the back of truck tailgates and hung over the side of vehicle rooftops. They stood in two oceans in one day, skipped across hot sand, and sighed in relief when the cool water hit them.
These feet first felt the frigid winter air as they stepped off the plane in Eastern Europe, and finally ditched flip flops for “new” second hand boots. They wore layer upon layer of socks as they walked the dreary streets of small, grey sky towns. They excitedly trudged through snow covered streets, marched around buildings in prayer walks, explored ancient ruins, and they’ve logged dozens of hours of walking in search of coffee and wifi. They’ve been washed by humbled hands and stood happily during the first ever church service of a small Romanian town.
These feet fit tight into flippers that navigated me through the clear Caribbean Sea…and kicked frantically to avoid touching (harmless) sharks. They’ve dangled nervously over high zip line platforms and then flew fearlessly through the Belizean jungle and over rivers. They’ve climbed up mountains and through caves, carefully keeping me balanced, and they’ve kicked nervously through dark, unknown waters.
These feet have been bombarded with mosquito bites, burned by the sun, bruised by clumsy accidents, and blistered by many tiresome miles.
My eyes have seen countless miracles and the incredible vastness of God’s glorious creation. My heart has been broken and made whole again, and my mind has been stretched beyond anything I could comprehend. But it’s my feet that got me there. These feet, by the grace of God, have taken me to the ends of the earth and
will soon take me back home again.
{“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”}
