MAY I WASH YOUR FEET ?

It has been many years since the embryo of this true story emerged, but it always brings tears to my eyes because of its special nature.

My Dad wasn’t well versed on “affirmation.”   He was orphaned when he was only eight years of age by his mother’s death, so he wasn’t equipped with many mentors in his family.    I begin with this statement because our parents, regardless of how they were raised, usually do the best they know how.   No one is the perfect parent, except God, the Father.   And His first two children, Adam and Eve who lived in a perfect environment, with a perfect parent, God Himself, blew it big time.   So parents reading this, be encouraged.

I preface this story with the above explanation…..as the story will, in the end, honor my Dad.    My Dad had an outgoing personality and was a very friendly.  He could parade through a grocery store (which he did about four times a week) entertaining and befriending every clerk.   One time, as we were approaching the check out, I heard him refer to the cashier as Priscilla.   Then as I approached he would introduce me as his daughter, his first Priscilla.   I had no idea I had so many namesakes.

My visits to my parents’ home occurred about four times a year.  How grateful I am for the free tickets to the State where my parents were living, due to my husband’s many accrued air miles as a result of his travels.   In addition to enjoying my time with them, it was an opportunity to work around the home doing odd jobs and tackling big cleanup projects so they could remain in their home.

After breakfast one morning, I took a cup of tea to my former bedroom (when I formally lived at home) and read my Bible.   May I insert that I had been praying for my parents to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior for about 15 years.   

My Dad had absolutely no interest in God!   That included any radio or television programs that brought God into focus.  It took a number of years for God’s wisdom to sink into my head and behavior to realize that my walk needed to match my talk!   In fact, there was little “talk” about Jesus as Dad would either leave the conversation, or walk out of the room.

My Father was a diabetic and required two shots of insulin each day.   My Mother was very good at this and attended to this function every day for him.    She was a very steady, strong-willed woman, and good at meeting my Dad’s needs.

I had no more than closed my Bible this particular morning when my Mother gave a little knock on my door and gently peeked in the door with a statement I shall never forget.   I won’t sermonize this but there is one verse that will begin to come alive in the following paragraphs.

John 13:l4  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

My Mom’s words were:   “there is something your Dad would like you to do for him, and I can’t do it.”   What????   My Mom seemed to handle anything.   Her morning injections were as smooth as ice.   What was it that she couldn’t do, that Dad required?

I say that gingerly, because I was raised with doubt in his mind that I could do anything right.   Even if I mowed the lawn, he would be quick to point out a blade I missed.  My goodness, this had to be a BIG request.

What is it, I inquired?  He wants you to do his feet?  What that translates to is to clean and file down the almost l/2 inch of fungus on his toenails.   He was unable to do it himself.  He had been to a Podiatrist (whom I love to refer to as a toenail doctor) and his procedure was very painful for my Dad and he wasn’t about to make a return appointment.

With the background I described earlier, can you sense the stress I was beginning to feel?   Shortly thereafter I approached my Dad asking him to tell me, in more detail, what he wanted.   Oddly enough, I hadn’t seen my Dad’s feet in years.    You might think that odd, but if you think about it, we usually see people fully dressed, shoes and socks complete.

He invited me to the living room and began unravelling the socks to show me his feet, specifically, his toenails.   I tried my best not to look shocked.  The nails were at different heights and all filled with fungus that needed to be shaved down so they were smooth.

You might wonder how much experience I’d had in performing this podiatry skill.   NONE!     As I was looking at his feet, my first thoughts were, I cannot do this.   I don’t know how.  

Then it happened, God began to bring to my memory some of the verses I had just read in John 13.    Words we may read in our devotional time aren’t just words to “leave on the page,” they are to be “worked out in the sneakers of our living.”     God was preparing me for this new assignment.  

All our God-assignments of serving others are to bring honor and glory to God.   In other words, our words and ways are to “make God look good.”

The instant the reality of this verse hit home, I knew God was asking me to “attend to my Dad’s feet. “   This would involve not only cleaning his feet, but attending to and reducing the fungus under the nails.   

Thus, my first idea that I shared with Dad was that he needed to soak his feet in nice warm sudsy water.  He was quite prepared as he had proper files, clippers and the works.    I had prayed for over ten years for God to open up an opportunity to share Christ with him.   I had shared my story of becoming a Christian years prior, but with no positive response.

This evening was my “Divine Appointment and Divine Assignment.”   It was my time to “be the Gospel….be Jesus to him.”

My Dad’s good news that day came with my “Yes, I’ll try.”   I suggested that after supper, I would get a container of nice clean warm water to soak his feet in, and then proceed to attend to his tootsies!    My Dad’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.  He was more than on board for all of this.

After this brief introduction to his “tootsies” I went to my room to collect myself.   I thought to myself, “How in the world can I do this?   How can I get past the insecurity of the assignment?    God’s Spirit instantly reminded me of two truths:

Philippians 2:13   “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Philippians 4:13   “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   And this includes FEET!

Dinner was over and the “foot event” was about to commence.  But, “how Lord,” was I to do this, to me, this was an impossible task?     The immediate answer was this:   Dianne, pretend that your Dad’s feet were Jesus’ feet.   That was a tall order, as well as it was my marching orders.

I’m glad Mom shared his request in the afternoon, as it gave God and I time to interact about all of this and get the equipment ready.   You’d have thought we were having a party…..as my Dad was “so enthusiastic.”

Dad was anxious to get started and had himself all propped up on the sofa in the living room.   Mom wanted to get in on all this too.   They both seemed so relieved and excited about the potential activity.   So with my personality, I thought we might as well turn this into a “foot party.”

Pale with warm water, soap, wash cloth, nice towels in place, and the soaking activity began.   I soaped up his feet and gently rubbed them.  That must have felt good as Dad was all smiles about this time.   Then I laid a towel on my lap and began patting dry his feet.

When I took the various files in my hand to begin, a wonderful thing happened in my heart that translated in my eyes.   I began to see my Dad’s feet as though they were the feet of Jesus.   

With gentle, yet firm strokes, I began the procedure of filing down each toenail.   To my utter amazement they began to quickly reduce in size, and an hour later, all his toenails were smooth to the touch and normal in height.   Afterwards I massaged his feet with a nice cream and covered his feet with clean white socks.   He was delighted!!!   I was “over the moon” with relief.   The best part of all this was that I never hurt him.   God is so good.

This was the first of four cleaning sessions a year lasting for a little over twenty-five years.   This was the first time in my life that my Dad seemed appreciative of my efforts.    Every time I came for a visit, we had a “foot party.”   This foot party turned into a manicure of his hands.   The party escalated so that even my Mom wanted her feet and hands done too.    Each party lasted about two hours.   An hour for each of my “parent customers.”

This isn’t the end of the story.   After praying thirty eight years for my Dad and through twenty five of those years, attending to his feet, my Dad finally came to give his life to Christ just eleven days before the Lord took him home to heaven to be with his new-found Savior.

God touches others through our lives.    He does use our lips, but often God works through loving others by “serving them” in whatever opportunity God opens up.   

Many times we’re given the privilege of telling another about Jesus and that’s a wonderful joy.   But we need to be more than willing to “show them Jesus” through loving service to them in whatever arena God brings to us.    To demonstrate God’s love requires our willingness to be changed……and that is where the first miracle is initiated.   

I think people would rather experience the love of God firsthand…………so that their hearts become most open to hearing it!!