Soul Searching to Sole Shopping

I tried it. In secret, of course. Both sitting in my chair and leaning against the wall...I couldn't do it. I tried flat ones, high ones, low and medium height, and my foot just stubbornly refused to slide into a shoe. That is a scarry realization to a shoe lov'in lady! I am trying to convince myself that it is just too early, and that once I get walking more on my foot, it will learn to bend again, but it is hard to imagine when there is no indication of flexability at all. I even tried a pair of 1" pumps with no back. My foot did not have to bend at all to slide in...but the minute I put a tiny little bit of weight on it, I felt that little pump attach itself to the steel rod running up through my leg, and the pain brought tears to my eyes. It just looks impossible. Will I never wear a 'pair' of shoes again? Not the pink ones? Not pointed toes? Not even fancy flats? Did you ever realize that shoes only make the outfit or the woman when she is wearing two matching ones??

Thankfully, as I sat down, exhausted from my bottom of the closet shoe search and struggle, I remembered the Word that my husband had given to us the other night. And I relish the scriptures that my husband gives. I know that the Word is true! But when my husband gives it, I know that he is right there with me, facing what I face, day in and day out. He is truly part of me and sees it from where we are. If this Word is working for him, it is working for me.

As we were sharing with our Arising to Excellence board, he said that this was the scripture that the Lord had impressed upon him for this year. "Bretheren, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:13

Paul, THE apostle, was saying that he knew that he hadn't 'made it' and was determined to forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal of knowing Christ.

Paul, MY hubby-apostle, was sharing with us that God was again showing him the importance of "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead". He told us that we must forget the seemingly failures, struggles, trials, nevers, and unfulfilleds of the past, and press on to what God has ahead.

That is a 'life word'! Oh how often we get discouraged about what hasn't happened, looks impossible, or happens only to them. Whoever they are. The problem is that we must learn to "focus forward". And I know that as easy as it sounds, it is difficult for us to focus on what has not yet happened, because we obviously cannot see it.

Ummm...that is where faith comes in. That is where we begin to walk in the evidence of what is unseen. And the only roadblocks to that are either looking back (at the impossibles and nevers) or not looking at Christ. Yes, those are the roadblocks that have stumped me more than a few times. It is when I compare what I long for or need, with what has not been that I get discouraged. Or when I try to figure out how something could happen in my own strength, with my own checkbook, or in our 'as is situation', without looking at it through Christ, through whom all things are possible.

Thank you, Paul, THE apostle, and Paul, my hubby-apostle, for reminding me to forget what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead. Today, I am making it my aim to "focus forward". In fact, today I am putting away the wheel chair and the walker, grabbing my cane, and thrusting forward...today soul searching...tomorrow (sole) shoe shopping! And if not tomorrow...the tomorrow after that! I'll race you to the sale racks!