As I've been meditating and studying on the attributes of a virtuous woman, I kept thinking "these are big shoes to fill". But I felt like I received from the Lord "oh Contrar'! These shoes are not big at all. Instead they are very tight!
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If you assay to wear these shoes, you must get small. You can't bring your big feet to these shoes. Big, clumsy feet cannot fit and would not be able to endure the blisters and pain that these shoes would impose. You must bind up your big footedness and become very small to even fit in these shoes.
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Yet in these shoes, the wearer must walk great distances, carry heavy burdens and tip toe around everything! These shoes are not like those shoes that are for looks, and dainty affairs. The wearer of these shoes will labor and be in constant service.
Yet, unlike typical work shoes, these shoes are not ergonomically designed with the wearers feet in mind. They were, instead, designed for others. These shoes were designed especially with OTHER people’s comfort in mind. These shoes were made to tip toe, so as not to step on other's feet, while the wearer labors in them. These shoes give the wearer the ability to step lightly, and step around, so as not to even touch other’s sensitive feet. With these shoes, the laborer can go in and out and around others without incident. The wearer learns how to go in and out among God’s people without hearing cries of the tender footed crying “ouch”, “Ouch! you hurt me!”, or “Get your big feet out of the way!”
These shoes are not blue suede shoes either! Remember the Elvis song “Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes”? Well, these shoes were not built to prevent other’s from stepping all over them. There are no walls, no towers, no fortified areas, no steel toes. Although they are designed not to step on others, these shoes are themselves often stepped upon. These shoes, being made not for the wearer but for others, were made soft-hearted, so that when others step on them, they don’t “bite back”. These shoes are cushions that absorb the impact of other’s weight and act as a sort of buffer or shock absorber for other’s big feet and careless steps.
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INTERPRETATION: (for any who would like clarification of the allegories I'm using here)
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Tight Shoes= strait is the gate and narrow is the way.
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To get small: Humble. Meek. Not full of yourself.
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Big Feet: Full of self-interest & one’s own opinion. Unable to get out of yourself, not putting other’s interests & honor above your own claims to it.
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Big, Clumsy Feet: Always putting your foot in your mouth; strife. Like a heavy footed person always stepping on other people's feet, whether intentional or unintentional.
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Blisters and Pain: Constantly bickering, offended & being offended, constantly getting in trouble for what you said or did, & the pain and blistering of one's pride.
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Bind up your big footedness= Learn to shut your mouth.
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Walk great distances: Endurance....keep on going, and don't stop, don't give up, don't drop the ball.
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Carry heavy burdens: Hearing mess but not spreading it; taking offense but not retaliating. Bearing your crosses...loving, forgiving.
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Tip Toe around everything: Being careful with your mouth- learning wisdom when to speak & when not to, learning what you have the range to say and what you don’t, etc.
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Going in and around others without incident: This person won't be called into the pastor's office trying to sort through issues all the time, or constantly involved in some sort of mess or strife going on, because they have learned how to tip toe in and around people. They know ‘how to go in and out among God’s people”.
.
Cries of the tender footed- when other’s say “you shouldn’t have talked to me like that!” “you hurt my feelings!” “You had no right to talk to me like that!” “that was rude” “that was uncalled for!” .
Debbie Hoffman Benfield
.
If you assay to wear these shoes, you must get small. You can't bring your big feet to these shoes. Big, clumsy feet cannot fit and would not be able to endure the blisters and pain that these shoes would impose. You must bind up your big footedness and become very small to even fit in these shoes.
.
Yet in these shoes, the wearer must walk great distances, carry heavy burdens and tip toe around everything! These shoes are not like those shoes that are for looks, and dainty affairs. The wearer of these shoes will labor and be in constant service.
Yet, unlike typical work shoes, these shoes are not ergonomically designed with the wearers feet in mind. They were, instead, designed for others. These shoes were designed especially with OTHER people’s comfort in mind. These shoes were made to tip toe, so as not to step on other's feet, while the wearer labors in them. These shoes give the wearer the ability to step lightly, and step around, so as not to even touch other’s sensitive feet. With these shoes, the laborer can go in and out and around others without incident. The wearer learns how to go in and out among God’s people without hearing cries of the tender footed crying “ouch”, “Ouch! you hurt me!”, or “Get your big feet out of the way!”
These shoes are not blue suede shoes either! Remember the Elvis song “Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes”? Well, these shoes were not built to prevent other’s from stepping all over them. There are no walls, no towers, no fortified areas, no steel toes. Although they are designed not to step on others, these shoes are themselves often stepped upon. These shoes, being made not for the wearer but for others, were made soft-hearted, so that when others step on them, they don’t “bite back”. These shoes are cushions that absorb the impact of other’s weight and act as a sort of buffer or shock absorber for other’s big feet and careless steps.
.
.
INTERPRETATION: (for any who would like clarification of the allegories I'm using here)
.
Tight Shoes= strait is the gate and narrow is the way.
.
To get small: Humble. Meek. Not full of yourself.
.
Big Feet: Full of self-interest & one’s own opinion. Unable to get out of yourself, not putting other’s interests & honor above your own claims to it.
.
Big, Clumsy Feet: Always putting your foot in your mouth; strife. Like a heavy footed person always stepping on other people's feet, whether intentional or unintentional.
.
Blisters and Pain: Constantly bickering, offended & being offended, constantly getting in trouble for what you said or did, & the pain and blistering of one's pride.
.
Bind up your big footedness= Learn to shut your mouth.
.
Walk great distances: Endurance....keep on going, and don't stop, don't give up, don't drop the ball.
.
Carry heavy burdens: Hearing mess but not spreading it; taking offense but not retaliating. Bearing your crosses...loving, forgiving.
.
Tip Toe around everything: Being careful with your mouth- learning wisdom when to speak & when not to, learning what you have the range to say and what you don’t, etc.
.
Going in and around others without incident: This person won't be called into the pastor's office trying to sort through issues all the time, or constantly involved in some sort of mess or strife going on, because they have learned how to tip toe in and around people. They know ‘how to go in and out among God’s people”.
.
Cries of the tender footed- when other’s say “you shouldn’t have talked to me like that!” “you hurt my feelings!” “You had no right to talk to me like that!” “that was rude” “that was uncalled for!” .
Debbie Hoffman Benfield
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