"The steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord ..."
Psalms 37:23
For almost a decade, my 75-year-old grandmother lived with my family as I was growing up. One of her daily routines was to take an early morning walk outside in the yard or along the road. In those quiet times of personal reflection, she commiserated with the spirit of her deceased husband, she remembered the pleasantries of bygone days and had her own little talk with God. She was a sweetheart, in an old-fashioned kind of way.
Like clockwork, every morning, my grandmother would take her walk. She would open the side kitchen door and step onto our enclosed porch. Waiting for her there were an old pair of black rubber boots. They were those shin-high, black rubber, four-buckled boots with a zipper inside, with red cleats on the bottom. To my grandmother, those old black boots were special. They were always there, ready, willing and able for usage.
They were easy to get into. They were so big you could have placed an 18-wheel truck inside along with her feet. They went wherever she went and protected her feet from the harmful elements found outside her home. Those boots insulated her from the mud of the garden, the stain of the freshly mowed lawn, the dust of the road and the pebbles along the walk. And yes, she told me many times that those old boots were extremely comfortable to wear.
I would watch her slip off her house shoes and place her ancient appendages into the spacious interiors of those walking boots. Then, off she would go. It was a sight to behold: seeing her meander along in those black and red boots, tresses adorned in a laced hair net, wearing an old blue overcoat and sporting a faded yellow apron that shielded a pink and white flowered house dress. Those were the days.
A relationship with God through Jesus Christ is in some ways similar to the one my grandmother enjoyed with those old boots. For he is always there. He is never far from us. When the journey of life takes us to places outside the security of our comfort zone, there he is, offering to go with us. Like those old walking boots, an association with God is easy for us to get into. It is not difficult to put on the love of Christ. It is practical. His grace is inclusive enough to embrace all of our idiosyncrasies.
Like those old boots, Christ is our protector. He guards our souls from becoming polluted with the filth of transgressions that can so easily beset us. And better yet, if we do happen to fall and get spattered with slime, Jesus always has a beauty treatment ready for us. As we confess to him our misplaced indulgences, he both forgives us and cleanses us from its damaging effects. When we place our faith in him, we are outfitted to walk wherever — to share God's love with whomever — whenever he beckons us. And just like those old boots, Jesus wants to be our best friend. The comfort of his grace is easy to live with and partnership in his work is never overwhelming. I just thought you might like to know that.
As always, see you next time and have a great day.
The Rev. Carl S. Mesiti is pastor of Niedringhaus United Methodist Church in Granite City. ¨
