Thursday, April 9, 2009

Feet

Last night at Chapel, as we experienced a Seder Meal, I also got the humbling opportunity to wash my kids feet. Some of course didn't want their feet washed because it was a very intimate and different experience. But the ones that did let me wash their feet I am very grateful to because it impacted me so much. As I washed this one girl's feet, I just had to pause to think that this was such an amazing moment in time because, this girl,

1. is extremely hyper all the time so for her to calm down and let me wash her feet was amazing in itself.

2. This is a girl who has lost most of her family in a house fire a few years ago, she is bipolar, many days she drives me up the wall and I think she might be the kid I struggle with the most.

But as I washed her feet I said a prayer thanking God for letting me be humbled in that moment, to be able to wash her feet, to serve her. She thanked me over and over again, and I told her it was my honor. As I moved around the tables washing different kids and staffs feet, I wish I could bottle up the emotions that were in the room. There was some laughter, but mainly just a bunch of kids and adults all joined together in that moment, all being humbled at the act of footwashing. I think some of my kids felt like the disciples, completely baffled as to why someone, especially Jesus (their leader) or Me (their kinda leader) would want to wash THEIR feet. Especially at Cunningham this was even more of a wild and radical thing because staff really do not touch kids unless we have to. We must do side hugs, and we are always telling the kids to be careful of boundaries. But in this moment we let ourselves be completely vulnerable and let someone touch their feet. Sometimes we need these intimate times within our communities. As we concluded our service last night and our guest muscian of the night, Nate, started singing Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord. I could not help but think how fitting that sound was because that night my eyes/heart needed to be opened and when they were, I saw feet and they were such beautiful feet.

Reflect upon the intimate nature of footwashing and hopefully one day soon you will be able to participate in a footwashing.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That is beautiful. I have only done maybe two footwashing services, and you're right about them being a vulnerable time. There is beauty in allowing yourself to be vulnerable.

Thank you for this post.