So we ended our first day in Haiti. Listening to the rest of the crew at dinner, they really have a heart for missions here, and what they have done for the past 13 years is incredible. The excitement and passion displayed by this team is downright infectious. It really made me appreciate how blessed we are to have such passionate and talented people at Hope.
Interestingly, my most startling revelation was when I got back to my room. Since we traveled through the airport today, I wore flip-flops, which is pretty common for me in the summer. However, we didn’t do a whole lot of walking today. Just through the airport, out to the van, into the hotel, and then around the hotel for dinner.
What struck me, though, occurred (oddly enough) when I went to take a shower tonight. When my feet got in the water it turned instantly into mud. Now, there wasn’t lots of water in the shower, but it was all black. Despite wearing flip flops often, my feet never get THAT dirty.
As I sat there letting the water wash over my feet, it made me think about just how Jesus was humbling himself when he washed his disciples’ feet. After a day of walking around in the desert, how dirty would their feet have been? After a whole day of walking in the dust, how much of a mess would their feet be? Why would anyone choose to bend down and dirty their hands like that? I didn’t want to wash my own feet, who would wash someone else’s and then do it again 11 more times.
Think for a little while what Jesus was modeling for us there. Think about the level of humility it would take for you to wash the feet of your 12 closest friends after a full day of walking in the dust and dirt in sandals. Now think about how small that is compared to the main way Jesus humbled himself, by accepting death on a cross. In light of that, do you think you could humble yourself to wash dirty feet? How are you being pressed to model this in your life?
I will follow that deep thought up with a picture of the view I had from my room tonight.
Picture by Josh Hancock.
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