Feetless but Happy

In a hurried dash to the grocery store, I rushed to join the queue at the cash register. As "luck" would have it (more like as God would have it), the lady in front of me was a little chatty (which, I am ashamed to say, made my foot tap in impatience). After talking about this and that, switching between addressing the little dog in her cart and the cashier, like any proud dog "momma," the customer started telling the cashier about her dog. In turn, the cashier told about her big lab, so strong and rambunctious that he almost dragged her when she walked him.

The customer exclaimed, "Exactly! That's why I need to find a home for my brother's black lab I ended up with. It's hard to handle a boisterous dog when you don't have any feet."

My mind reeled. No feet? Surely I had heard wrong! Why, the lady was happy! How could she be happy if she had no feet?

I surreptitiously tried to peek at her feet, but between my cart, her cart, and her little dog, I couldn't get a good visual. Until she finished loading her bags and whisked around the end of the bagging area. Then, I saw.

Miss Bubbly Customer did indeed have no feet. Her legs ended in stumps covered by a kind of strapped on thing that looked close to a sandal but wasn't exactly that because she had no feet. And yet she didn't walk around with a sour face or attitude. Her demeanor was one of a happy person, despite the fact that she had no feet.

I blinked back tears and immediately began to pray silently, asking God to forgive me for all my unhappy attitudes that, in the light of no feet, seemed so petty.

The following pearl of wisdom has been attributed to Shakespeare: "I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs." A similar saying is credited to Helen Keller: "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet."

It took the heart-rending visual at the grocery store to slap me upside the head to realize to the very core of my being the strength and wisdom of those sayings. And to remind me to be grateful. This is not a long blog, but I think a vital, poignant reminder to make sure our thinking is calibrated to be Scripture-perfect.

When that dear lady lost her feet, I don't think they went "gentle into that good night." I'm sure she had to deal with a lot of emotional pain as well as physical. I don't know if that lady knows the Lord, but she sure epitomized what He tells us in Isaiah. There we are told that God will give us "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3).

For a garment to be of use, it must be put on. A garment hanging in the closet is of no use. One must physically lift the garment, insert arms into the sleeves, and shrug it on. Only then will it cover, warm, and protect the body. So is praise. There are times in our lives when we have to force ourselves to put on praise, to lift our voices in praise to God amidst what feels like devastating pain. Then, and only then, will that debilitating pain slough off as nothing. It is not automatic. It takes conscious, purposeful effort on our part.

When David was faced with a terrible situation, his men were thinking of killing him in retaliation for the loss of their families, he found himself greatly distressed. But the passage ends with "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6-8). He didn't give in to the gloom and despair of the tragedy. Instead, he put his hand to the plow, did what needed to get done (set his heart to seek God), and rose above his distress. In case you haven't read the story, it has a happy ending.

No matter what our difficulties, let us do as David did and encourage ourselves in the Lord. Let us stand on His promises. Let us look to Him and not what our difficulties seem to dictate. Let us look to Him, the author and finisher of our faith, and rejoice that in Him, we will have the victory over our circumstances. Let us put on the garment of praise. Then, and only then, will we be able to walk in the full strength of our spiritual feet.

God bless that lady at the grocery store. Her triumph over tragedy has helped my pursuit of what truly matters in this life. May it yours, also.

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory (that is, my tongue) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent, O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever" (Psalm 30:11-12).

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11).

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you " (1Thessalonians 5:16-18).