My Dearest Daughter,
I wanted to apologize to you for something: we tease you about your feet sometimes, and it isn't very nice. You, unfortunately, have your Dad's feet. We jokingly refer to them as "Hobbit feet" (although, just to clarify, yours are not hairy!). You often lament that you wear a bigger size shoe than I do, evidenced by that span of less than three months you jumped two sizes. Don't feel bad, I am definitely out of the running to be America's Next Top Foot Model, too.
But I wanted to tell you something today: you have beautiful feet. (And not just because we got pedicures earlier this week.) And you are smart enough to know that I am not talking about the things that are at the end of your legs. You have the kind of feet that Isaiah was talking about:
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!". Isaiah 52:7
I learned that verse in VBS before you were even a thought to me. The summer of my junior year in high school, a single year spent at my grandmother's, feeling adrift because I knew that my time there was fleeting. Frustrated, because I had big hopes and dreams but no way to give them...feet. Knowing so strongly that I was called, but only hearing a Voice, with no words.
It would be many years before there was you. You and your beautiful, beautiful feet. You and your going feet. Finally, my dreams are starting to become clearer: it was you. You are my calling, to raise you up in the knowledge of the goodness of God. And while you may not have my feet, you do have your grandmother's: feet that love to take the Word to everyone. And your great-grandmother's: feet that long to share the greatest Gift to the ends of the earth. And maybe, just maybe you do have a little of me, after all. Because in knowing about those beautiful feet from Isaiah, all those years ago, I've spent all your lifetime praying to God to help me prepare your feet. Feet that are literally taking the Gospel in answer to this:
"[F]or everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Romans 10:13-15
You are the beautiful feet of my dreams. You are living boldly-and I, along with the Body of Christ, am sending you and your precious feet. It is the hardest thing I have ever been asked to do, this sending. But, I know this to be true: the Good News that you and your feet are carrying is far too wonderful for me to keep here at home, no matter how much I want to. And I hope that in this, one day, my feet will be as beautiful as yours. I love you.
Love,
Mom
hmm
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