Dirty Feet

Love those Dirty Feet It was a warm spring day. The streets were busy as people arrived for the Passover. The streets are dry and dusty. The disciples are far away from home. As the disciples arrive for the Passover meal, which was probably in a secret place, because everyone wanted a look at the Teacher. There sat a pitcher and a basin. Anyone could have taken it upon themselves to volunteer for the job, but no one does. In Jesus day the washing of feet was a task of servants, not just any servant, but the lowliest of servants. The servant on the very bottom of the totem pole. But here we have the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords who gets up removes His outer garment, wraps a servant girdled around His waist, takes up the basin and kneels before one of the disciples. He unlaces a sandal, and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, covers it with water and begins to bathe it. One dirty filthy foot after another, Jesus works His way down the line. These are the same hands that shape the stars, they now wash away filth. The one that someday all nations will kneel, now is kneeling before His disciples. What is Jesus really doing? These are the same men that He has spent the last three years of His life with. He knows everything about them. He has put up with their doubt and their unbelief. He has spent almost every awaking hour with them. Not only does He know what is happening with them at the moment, He knows what they will be doing. He has put up with their private thoughts, not only on this day, but He also knows what they are about to do, and what they will do in the future. Can you image knowing what your love ones will be doing, and what they are not only thinking at this moment, knowing what they are going to be thinking about. How did Jesus put up with them? Have you ever wonder why He didn't just replace them. You would think that of all times Jesus would want their attention; He knows that in just a few hours He will be crucified. But He doesn't. Can you image that knowing Judas would yet betray Him that same night, one of His own disciples, turning Him over to the Roman soldiers, to be beaten and hung on a cross? How could Jesus even think about washing His feet? He doesn't think. He silently lifts the feet of His betrayer and washes them in the basin. Could we, would we, wash the feet of someone who we knew was going to betray us? What a wonderful gift Jesus gave His disciples that night, and they did not even know it. (John 13:7) Within twenty four hours they would be hanging their heads in shame and looking down on their feet. When they look down, they will have to remember that Jesus knelt before them, just hours before. Do you know what Jesus did? He forgave their sin before they ever committed it. He offered mercy before they ever sought it. I know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself," I could never do that". "The hurt is too deep; I can't even stand to be in the same room with that person". "I can forgive them, but don't ever ask me to wash their feet". "That's going just a bit too far"! Could this be a problem? Are we just looking at that person one way, the wrong way? We need to remember to get our eyes off the ones who hurt us and get our eyes back on the one who saved us. So many times we hear or think this story about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, is just about humility and servant hood. Yes it is that, but let’s look at it from the deepest part of our hearts. The part of the heart that loves Jesus with everything we have. What was Jesus doing that day? What was He trying to prove when He washed the feet of His disciples? He is loving them! He wanted so much to show them how much that He loved them, before He died for them. He was also forgiving them! They were going to betray Him, denied Him, doubt His resurrection. He loved them so much that He forgave them, even before they sinned. O' what love that is. What a hard time we have just forgiving after someone sins against us. What a time we have working through the bitterness that we store within us. O' how hard it is for us to walk through the trials and the persecution of what others do to us. We have all been there and we have all said “It hurts so badly". Just image what Jesus was going through. And how He handles it. Yes this happened in Jesus time. We don't have a practice of washing feet every time someone comes to visit. This is not our custom. No but it was Jesus', and because He lives inside of us, it becomes ours also. Jesus is still kneeling and washing His disciple feet. Every time a speck of dirt falls upon us, He is reaching out and saying, "Let me wash that off of you." Jesus is still washing away our sins, if we let Him. He is still saying I love you, no matter what. That is not all He does. Because He lives in us, we can do the same. Because He has forgiven us, we can forgive others, because He loves us unconditionally, we can love others the same way. We are to have a heart like His. John 13:14-15 says “If I then, your Lord and Master washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." Jesus has offered us unconditional grace. We are to offer unconditional grace. The people around Jesus had no doubt of His love. The people around us should have no doubt about our love. One last thought... Jesus was not the guilty party in that room that night. If anyone should have had their feet washed, it should have been Jesus. We need to remember ever if we are not guilty, we need to go the guilty and wash their feet. Show them that you forgive them; show them that you love them, no matter what. You will find that when this happens, more often than not, both parties will end up on their knees. Jesus made sure that His disciples had no reason to doubt His love. Shouldn't we do the same? I John 4:8 He that loveth not knowth not God; for God is love. Shelly Clegg

The Unknown

Yes it is me again. I have not written in a very long time. Yes I have allot to say, but I will try not to rabble. In Feb. Scott and I made a trip to TX to see my mom. It was a short trip, but a good one. As we left the not knowing when I was going to get to see my mom again overwhelmed me. As we live so far apart from out parents and none of us are getting any younger, those not knowing set more and more on my heart. Having allot of regrets of not making more effort to spend more time with them. That other voice at times reminds me.. "well that works both ways".. yeah it does, but that does not make it right on my end. I could have been the one making more effort. All I can do now is ask for forgiveness and try to do better. After that we went to St. Louis to get Riley the grand dog. Ryan had allot of traveling to do plus she was studying for her orals. Which by the way she passed!! She now has her Masters and is a PHD candidate!! Go Ryan. The real unknow these last few months has been with Sam. So very proud of her! We will be heading out real soon to go watch her walk across that stage and get her college diploma!! Sam you have worked long and hard!! You go girl! The biggest unknowns with her is she is so in limbo.. not knowing where she is going to live, work or go to grad school. about the time we think we have some what of a plan, it goes hay wire again. She is stressed, we are stressed.. It has been a daily reminder that God has this. He has the perfect plan and just trying to stay within his plans at times are the hardest. Keeping the peace, and the trust that He still has this is getting harder and harder. But it is a reminder of how much we need Him every day, every moment. As I write this,we are still walking out the unknown. But when we lay down our heads tonight, we will lay them down with peace and knowing that we know God has this! We will one day soon look back on this and say, "why did we stress so much?". God is already saying that.. He is our peace, our provider, our beginning and our End. Take it form someone that has walked this. These extra gray hairs were put there as my God was laughing at me. Love my Father!

Christmas through a child's eyes

The Bible says we must be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-4). Just what does that mean?! I've heard people say this means we must have the faith of a child, but what does that mean? Here's the straight scoop, through a little story from my past: I remember our daughters when they began toddling, then walking. They were a little bundle of energy! Our house was their whole world. they didn't know what was outside it, at least not past their yard. They didn't understand the vastness and complexity of what was beyond their own little world. Well, we began going for walks around the neighborhood, ranging far and wide. Once the house was out of sight, they could not return on their own. They were lost. They had no idea where to go or what to do, or even if they were safe. Yet as we crossed one street after another, they held our hands and knew deep in their heart that they were safe. They knew that mom and dad loved them and would always do what was best for them. They knew their parents would protect them from all harm and guide them in the best way to go, every single time. All they had to do was hold our hands and do what we told them to do and they would have fun along the way, whether they knew where she was going or not! She didn't get scared or hesitate. She embraced the trip down strange new streets as an adventure, with full confidence in her parents. That's how Jesus said we should be; like a child. It's called faith. I said that to say this. I once wondered how I should present Christmas to my children, with all the hype on Santa and gifts etc. Then in prayer one day God told me to do some learning and to have some faith. So I did. I learned the history of Santa and that he was a Christian man doing good and giving to children that had nothing. Yes over the years people have made him into things that should not be. But bottom line, he was a great man. At that point we choice to leave him in our children lives. But to teach them the true meaning of Christmas. Every year we always put Christ first. We baked Jesus a birthday cake and we always made a point to reach out to a family in need and to be a blessing to that family. Just like Christ would (and Santa if you read the history). We took a step back, choice to raise our kids to put Christ first, teach them who Santa is and to look through their eyes and make the best memories we could. As adults we get so tied up in "junk" we forget to really go back to that child likeness.. even Christ said that is where we need to be. Without that we can not have the faith that we need. I love God and how He choices to teach me things. I just love watching the people who are putting Santa down for Christ sake.. I just want to ask them.. did you celebrate Halloween??? Might want to do your history on that one too. With saying all of that. Put me down if you want.. I did do my homework... do what God tells you to do... I did!! But if you choice to not believe in Santa... don't tell my family.. keep it to your self... I love the look on Christmas morning as children light up.. I love watching as they choice to give to others... they love doing that. My kids are adults now, someday I will have grand kids and my children will have to make their own choices on how to raise them. I know they will do a great job no matter what. Praying everyone has a great Christmas!! God bless everyone of you!! And may Santa bring you lots of goodies. Most of all may you all learn to have faith like a Child in 2012!