Let’s Wash Some Feet

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Let’s Wash Some Feet

by Sue Lavigne

When I was in graduate school preparing to become a physical therapist, I worked for an orthopedic doctor who specialized in foot problems. My job was to make a slipper cast mold of each of the patient’s feet. So, I rolled up my sleeves, put the cast material in some warm water and gently wrapped it around the bottom part of each foot. Once the cast dried, I could easily slip it off and set it aside. Once I finished, I would use

a warm wet towel to clean the cast residue off the patient’s feet. While working there, I washed a lot of different kinds of feet: small feet, big feet, pretty feet, ugly feet, flat feet, ticklish feet, and even some awful smelly feet. I felt a little like Jesus, washing His disciples’ feet. Although in the days of Jesus, the task of washing feet was a lot dirtier and given only to the lowest servant.

I believe the art of foot washing is especially needed today. Not the specifics of carrying around a wash basin and washing the feet of strangers, but of stepping outside of our needs and seeking to help someone less fortunate than ourselves.

Perhaps, the most important first step is to yield ourselves completely to God. I try to ask the question, “How is God calling me to meet the needs of someone else today?” People cross our paths every day whether it’s in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in the community or even in our own families. Each of these situations can provide opportunities where we can demonstrate the art of “foot washing,” which is basically just meeting the needs of another. The task may be as simple as sending an encouraging text to a friend or as difficult as taking a homeless person inside a grocery store to buy some food. Jesus demonstrated foot washing as an example to us of a servant/leader. “The greatest among you must be a servant to all” (Matthew 23:11). Needless to say, serving others can be a very humbling experience. We may be called to wash all “types of feet.” These situations are likely to call us out of our comfort zone to help those who are very different and maybe even difficult to serve.

When I got laid off from my job, God asked me to immediately go back and be a volunteer for that organization. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but in being obedient to God, He made a way for me not only to be a blessing as a volunteer, but also to hear from my former co-workers how much I had blessed them.

As a Christian, Jesus tells us in John 13:14, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” So, are you ready? Let’s roll up our sleeves and get started!

About The Author Susan Lavigne attends Cornerstone Church. She is a Christian speaker and songwriter. Feel free to contact her at susanclavigne@gmail.com.