Feet Foes Meet Their Fate

Feet Foes Meet Their Fate
By Brenda Black

I vigorously scrubbed at the blackened and calloused skin. A comforting soak in salted warm bath waters helped soften the exterior slightly, making it possible to slough off some of the toughened epidermis with a brisk towel rubbing. I then coated unrelenting crevices with scented layers of lotion and deeply massaged in creamy lanolin droplets. I swirled a tiny bristled brush into a sparkling copper-hued polish and painted wet streaks over short toenails in an effort to mask their unsophisticated natural appearance. Still, they looked like ugly feet with plenty of miles on them.

Even when I try to put my best foot forward in a cute pair of summer sandals, my country pods reveal stains from dusty treks to the mailbox and downright muddy moments in the cow lot. I've established a habit of slipping into flip flops for a quick trip out of doors and earned tan lines and tints that cosmetic pampering cannot obscure.

I considered fake toenails in a brief, weak and vain moment this week. It occurred to me it would be a total waste of money. Probably a pig would nibble it off or I'd lose it as I was hoeing. By the end of the week, when I needed my feet to feel and look their best, I was stuck with the original version and just hoped nobody would notice. Low and behold, you guessed it, someone brought up the topic!

I could almost feel my toes curling in like ten little turtle heads shyly shrinking into their shells. But my tootsies had no place to hide behind a lacy horizontal strap. Neither did the cute black sandal's secondary straps align cooperatively with a broad white path that spread from between my first two toes and across the width of the top of my foot. Instead they crisscrossed it as if to highlight the pale pattern even further.

All I heard was, “I think all feet are ugly.” I didn't know whether to be relieved that my feet were in not-so-good company or embarrassed that they incited such sweeping hatred. This lovely foot hater, with feet of her own, is not alone in her aversion. Pop culture gives it the term “misopody.” One online poll queried toe-loathers in order to uproot their motives revealing 65% that don't know why they hate feet and 67% who don't like anyone's feet, including their own! Yet, 55% of these feet foes will go barefoot on occasion! (www.misterpoll.com) Aha! My guess is that half of the foot enemies' toes look a lot like mine!

Actually, it doesn't matter one bit how my feet appear. What matters most is that they get me where I need to go and they carry truth. “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)

The original Hebrew “basar” is a primitive root for the word bring. It means to be fresh, full, rosy, cheerful. My feet are not fresh or rosy! Regardless, they are supposed to preach, publish, show forth, bear and bring good news! That means beautiful, best, bountiful, cheerful news!

How can feet be ugly when they have such a glorious job to do? Just think how beautiful were the feet of Jesus. They walked on water. His feet trekked across a desert in the company of a demon, yet did not falter. The Lord's feet carried him to the tomb of a friend where he wept and kicked the sides of a donkey as people praised his arrival in Jerusalem. My God's feet were kissed, anointed, washed and pierced so that the lame could walk and those who trust can run and not grow weary!

Take care of your feet, no matter how ugly you think them. Their job – your task – is to carry Good News to every person! One day those same feet will trample evil and stand in heaven.

“For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:19-20)