My daughter loves to tell the story about the time her dad took her to the park in two right shoes. When my husband picks her up for their regular afternoon play date, he comes straight from the office. On this sunny afternoon, after changing into his street clothes, he realized he had made a mistake in the dash out the door that morning. There, in the bottom of his gym bag, were two right sandals. With no time to head back home, he was faced with a choice, dress shoes or two right sandals. He chose the sandals, thinking that the heat-holding dress shoes would be too uncomfortable.
By making the most of this unusual situation, my husband brought hours of laughter into our home. Our ability to make the most of our circumstances, even if the laughter is at our expense, can be a real statement about our faith and relationship with the living God. My husband could have abandoned his planned afternoon at the park, or showed up with a scowl on his face, but he chose to enjoy the time he had with our daughter despite some discomfort and quizzical looks from bystanders (did I mention that the sandals were different colors?)
In Colossians 1:10, Paul urges us to ...walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him. The way we live our lives bears witness to Christ in an unbelieving world. Nothing makes a more powerful statement than a believer who is living out the Christian walk. This includes our reactions those annoying moments in life, like long lines at the grocery store or the car that cut you off on your way out of the parking lot. We may be quick to lose our temper in these situations - no one is perfect. Just be conscious of the person watching your reaction, be it your children, or a stranger who just happened to notice the cross hanging from your neck.
I've always been known for my two left feet among family and friends. Even through years of dance training, I've managed to hang onto the clumsy ways of my youth, which was peppered with bumps, bruises, and more than a few skinned knees. This was not a trait that made me proud. Often, it was the source of embarrassment and self-consciousness. To this day, I cling to the mantra that sports are “not my thing,” to keep my painful lack of hand-eye-coordination to myself. And yes, this includes church softball.
My nickname around our house is “butterfingers,” a testament to the fact that my condition has only worsened with age. It's hard to keep a smile on my face when I've hurt myself again, or made yet another mess. It's worth the struggle though, when I see my children reacting to their own accidents. I'm sowing the seeds of patience and self-control with each bite of my lower lip. I'm hopeful that others who are close to me, and know my natural tendencies in these situations, may recognize the change as well. You never know what it will take to for someone to take a second look at Christ. They may just decide that there is something to the Christian life after all.
