Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Do You Rub Your Husband's Feet?

I blew it recently. I had an obvious opportunity right in front of me, but I'm afraid I let selfishness reign. But God wouldn't let me get away with it. Thank heavens the Lord and my husband are forgiving! You guessed it. It involved my husband. 

Last Thursday night it was late, and I was preparing the go to bed which for me—includes a routine. This is what my husband does: he gets in bed. Well, add: brushes his teeth. That's his routine! I'm sort of envious. I take off my make up, apply cream, drink some water, move things on the dresser, get up to do something I forgot to do, and eventually—I get in bed! I'm trying to learn to simplify like my husband, but have a long way to go! But back to the story...


The other night I was looking so forward to my last step: turn out the light! My husband mentioned he sure would like me to rub his feet. (Well, actually he saw me put cream on, and he asked me to put cream on his feet.) I did it. No more. No less. No foot massage. I remember thinking, "I sure hope he doesn't ask me to rub his feet right now."  


I was ready to turn out the light and I was already dreaming of my pillow. That's when he said something like he sure would like a foot massage, but I hemmed and hawed (that's how we say in the south that we don't want to answer) and said something like "You wanted me to put cream on your feet & something about when did he wash them last," to which he replied he had "just showered."  


The next morning I was up preparing to have some quiet time with the Lord. My husband leaves early, so it was very quiet as I settled in to read a devotion before I did my Bible study. I was already feeling a bit guilty about not really serving my husband well on the whole feet thing when here's what I read (I kid you not, I'm not making this stuff up!):


"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand, and that he came forth from God and goeth unto God... John 13:3  ... we read that the next thing our Lord did was 'he took a towel, and girdeth himself...and began to wash the disciples' feet.' " 


Note that Jesus did not—like me—ask when did they last wash them as if he didn't want to touch feet that had not been washed lately! But there's more... listen as I continue what I was reading from Oswald Chambers, Daily Thoughts for Disciples, pgs. 176-177:


"Can we use a towel as our Lord did? Towels and basins and feet and sandals, all the ordinary sordid things of our lives, reveal more quickly than anything what we are made of. (Juana: Ouch!) It is not the big occasions that reveal us, but the little occasions. It takes God Incarnate to do the most menial common place things properly.


'If I then, the Lord and the Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.' Our Lord did not say: I have been the means of salvation of thousands, I have been most successful in my service, now you go and do the same thing'—He said: 'I have washed your feet: you go and wash one another's feet.' We try to get out of it by washing the feet of those who do not belong to our own set—we will wash the heathen's feet, or feet in the slums but fancy washing my brother's feet, my wife's, my husband's, the feet of the minister of my church! Our Lord said—'one another's feet.'


...'Now,' He says, 'show that one the same love that I have shown you.' If Jesus Christ has lifted us in love and grace, we must sow that love to someone else."


I IMMEDIATELY stopped reading (actually I don't think I made it to the end before I was convicted, asked the Lord to forgive me, and grabbed my phone) and texted my husband the words, "Please forgive me for not rubbing your feet, I was wrong. Happy to do it."


He wrote back, "No problem everything is okay." (if you're reading Hun, hope it's okay I'm saying this!



Walk by Faith, (and rub your husband's feet—if he likes it, that is!)

10 comments:

  1. Hi Juana...I'm your neighbour in the link up. It is a pleasure to meet you. I absolutely loved this post...it was very convicting! I actually don't have a problem rubbing my husband's feet...he just never asks. Hmmm...maybe I should just do it for him anyway. Thanks for sharing this.

    God bless!

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    1. Hi Lisa Marie! Thanks for stopping over, I'm going to head over to your spot next:-) I'd love to hear what he says when you offer to do it! I'm so glad we serve a God who wouldn't let me get away with my selfish ways. Someone once said he is the "hound of heaven" and I need HIM!!!!!!!!! obviously!!! So nice to meet you!

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  2. My husband and I often rub feet while watching a movie after the kids go to bed. But I can relate to what you're talking about. Being asked to serve in other ways when you just want to go to bed and sleep or just don't want to period. I mostly do serve even when I'm not wanting to, but I will admit my heart just isn't all into it and its really just about meeting his needs at the moment.

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    1. Hi Tracy, I love how y'all rub each other's feet. My husband read aloud to our kids (4) piled in our king-sized bed for over a decade, & I was in the habit of rubbing his feet as he read. If he was tired at the end of his day & he still read, the least I could do was rub his feet. I have gotten totally out of the habit! I may just surprise him next time like Lisa Marie above, and just do it before he asks. Touch is a love language!

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  3. So funny! I LOVE having my feet rubbed, but my husband has never, ever offered to rub them. He and I have been going through a rocky patch, centered around something he was less than forth coming about with me. The other night we were sitting on the couch, and he put his feet in my lap. I swear I heard the Lord telling me to rub my husband's feet! You can imagine my reaction ... not exactly lady like! :-) But after a moment or two I decided to listen to the voice and rub my husband;s feet. You know what? I enjoyed that simple act more than my husband did! We serve a mighty ~ and a humorous ~ God!

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  4. Oh, Jude! I love how you rubbed his feet! We don't have control over what other people do or don't do~Just how we respond, Amen? I love how obvious it was the Lord wanted you to serve him by rubbing his feet. I'm laughing with you that he "dropped them in your lap!" You were such an example of "he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Prov 11:25

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  5. I have to say I not only loved this post but I love all the comments too. Especially Jude. How easy it is to say, "He doesn't deserve it". How Jesus it is to say, I'll love Him anyway. Love covers a multitude of sins! What an exsample! What a blessing!

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  6. I have to say I not only loved this post but I love all the comments too. Especially Jude. How easy it is to say, "He doesn't deserve it". How Jesus it is to say, I'll love Him anyway. Love covers a multitude of sins! What an exsample! What a blessing!

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  7. I loved this post and all the comments. Especially Jude. It's so easy to say he doesn't deserve it and so Christ like to bless him anyway. Love covers a multitude of sins! Praise the Lord for your obediance and the blessing you are to your husband to show Christ like love! I'm so thankful that our God loves us unconditionally, but so much harder to practice. Could you imagine if we committed to loving our husbands or future husbands like this? What men of God they would become and what exsamples for our daughters would we set?

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  8. Me too, Angel! Someone once said you have to stand on your head to be a Christian! meaning... we look at life opposite from the way the world does! The world would say, "Don't rub his feet! What has he done for you today?" The Christian filled with the Holy Spirit says, "what can I do for you?"

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