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If the Shoe Fits…
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
Dear Brothers and Sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Betty puffed her way across the finish line and downed a cup of water with the steely satisfaction that comes from a job well done. While for most distance runners a 5k is a snap, Betty knew that she would have more than her share of aches and pains to deal with in the coming days. You see this run was to benefit cancer research and it represented the end of a two-year ordeal in Betty's life, one that included intensive physical therapy and the use of special orthopedic foot devices to correct the effects of years of wearing improper foot wear.
It all started during a routine physical in high school. It was then that the doctor warned Betty that she had a slight curvature of her spine known as scoliosis. She had to take care of herself, the doctor said, wear a back brace, do special exercises and only use proper footwear. She did not like what she heard. The mere thought of a back brace made her uncomfortable, she did not have time for exercises, and she was not about to wear shoes that failed to make her look good. Throughout her 20's, high heels became Betty's trademark at work, the higher and the thinner the heel and the pointier the toe, the better. It was in her early 30's that these years of abuse began to take their toll. She developed painful bunions, discomfort in the ball of her foot, and then, worst of all, a tightening of her calf muscles that made it impossible for her to wear flats, even around the house. That's what lead ultimately to a trip to the podiatrist, the foot doctor. She faced many years of therapy accompanied by several lifestyle changes, including the donning of more sensible footwear.
As you think about this fictional story of Betty, consider two different points of view and two ways of dealing with the realities of life. On the one hand, there is the old, worldly way and on the other, the new, godly way revealed to us "in Christ."
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