As a child, I was obsessed with a book by Steven Kroll called “Dirty Feet“. It was mostly because I could relate to the main character, Penelope. I hated wearing shoes, and as a result, I often had very dirty feet.

As I grew older my disdain for shoes continued. In fact, if I had to wear shoes, I would wear sandals so I could remove them at my convenience. When Justin and I were married, no one in the wedding party wore shoes. Why would we? 😉 Barefoot is so much better.

Since I have moved to Africa, my feet have found themselves in some yucky situations. To be honest, in order to go anywhere and do anything, you have to learn to live with dirty feet here.

Recently, Justin, Garry, Samm, and I were headed to church on a Thursday night. Samm and I had just finished a Bible study with a local woman when the “bottom fell out” as we say. It did not rain just a little, it flooded. To get back to our car in time for church we found ourselves slipping and sliding in the mud. Then, once we were back at the school, we walked to church. There was no avoiding the mud puddles. By the time we got to the church builing we both had muddy feet, and splashes all up our legs and skirt.

Saturday, Tiffany Gaines and I were walking around Boma Ng’ombe before the children’s seminar. It was dusty, and piki piki’s rushed by with no mind to how close they were to us, or the cloud of dust they covered us in. It was then that we looked down at our feet. They were so dirty and it was not even 10 am!

It was then that I started thinking about my favorite verse:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:13-17

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

I certainly would not consider our dirty feet beautiful by the world’s standards. But, I do not judge beauty by the world’s standards. No, beauty is judged by the eye of our Creator and He loves dirty feet that carry the Gospel.

So, I ask you, are your feet dirty? Are they covered in mud as they trek from sinners house to sinners house? Are you ankle deep in mud as you do your best to make it to worship? Are your feet covered in the dust of life as you welcome children to hear God’s word?

If they aren’t, I encourage you to go out and get your feet dirty. I pray that this week, your feet are beautiful in the sight of the Lord, though the world may find them nasty.