A good foot washing...

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."- John 13: 12-17

Last night, I went to my caregroup ladies meeting. The email I got from our caregroup leader's wife billed it as a chance for the mom's to sit back and relax and everybody else take care of things. I didn't know what that meant until I got there and saw a living room filled with candles, soft music, a massage chair, and foot baths. In the kitchen, there was a lovely spread of cookies, chips, veggies, and even hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. It was then that I realized the whole idea was that the married ladies without children were planning to give us moms pedicures!

I sat down, put my feet in warm water, and Ruth started in on my feet. I got the whole spa treatment, let me tell you. She knows how to give a foot massage. I was exfoliated, buffed, lotioned, had my feet cuticles? cleaned, nails clipped, and she even gave me a fresh coat of polish. Nobody has ever given that much attention to my feet before, and it was just exactly what I needed. I'd had a plantar wart frozen off my foot yesterday, and I was limping pretty good. My foot needed some attention. And I'd also been wondering when, if ever, I would get a chance to paint my toenails again. The last time they'd gotten done was when Mom and Dad watched the baby for me while I was at home. This was also the very first time I'd been able to leave Seth to go to a ladies meeting. I'd always had to bring him with me before because it was too painful to wait until 10:30 at night to either feed him or pump. That changed recently, so it was already a pretty big treat for me to be able to go without driving with one hand and holding the passy in over my shoulder with the other. =)

I don't think the girls in my caregroup will ever know just how blessed I felt last night. Staying home with Seth is so wonderful, and I love him more everyday. But I just don't get many moments to myself during the day. I only get nap time, really. I use that time to blog, sleep, do devotions, or do chores around the house. It was so nice to be taken care of by others. I appreciate the servant's hearts of those in my caregroup. Before you have children, it's easy not to put yourself in a mom's shoes. You don't know what it's like to walk in them, and you're busy enough with your own life that you might not take time to attempt to imagine what it's like. It means going the extra mile just to think about what a mom might need or want, and it's like running a marathon to actually go out and do something to give her a little treat. Christ's love charged through the finish line last night. Christ's example was followed, literally. He says, "Wash each other's feet the way I washed yours." And that's exactly what my friends did for me. And they did it because of the love of God that transforms hearts and minds. This love alone gives the desire not just to walk a mile in another's shoes but to take them off and rub their tired feet as well.