Take Off Your Shoes
By
Elin Henderson
“…Take off your sandals for you are standing on holy
ground“
Exodus 3:5b
(NLT)
One of the things I got used to quickly living among the Mwinika
people here in Mozambique was the need to remove my shoes when sitting down on
their mats. When you arrive for a visit, a woven mat is quickly set out, you
remove your shoes and sit down. It’s not so much that the mats are so clean or
dirt free, but it’s an act of respect. I also learned quickly that flip flops
are the way to go. Dealing with a bunch of ties, buckles or Velcro every time,
is just a pain!
Here in Exodus we find Moses being told by the Lord to take off
his shoes because the land he was standing on was holy. It wasn’t that the land
itself was anything special, it was just an ordinary piece of land, but the
presence of God made it holy.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of the presence of God turning
the ordinary piece of land on which we are standing into a holy place. We
aren’t alone; God is there with us. Wherever we find ourselves, whatever
struggle might be upon us, whatever challenge lies before us, God brings His
presence to that piece of land and makes it holy. We don’t stand alone!
In order to remind ourselves of this, maybe we need to start
taking off our shoes more often. It’s a good way to remember that God’s
presence is there with us. Of course depending on where you are, you might have
to do a little explaining as to this odd behavior.
So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed and all alone,
kick off your shoes and remind yourself: the ordinary ground you are standing
on is holy because God is standing there with you!
FURTHER
READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin
Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters
with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.
Elin is mother to sixteen-year-old Callie and fourteen-year-old Elias.
