Blisters

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:1-3 (NIV)

We walk constantly during History Fair. The first day, my co-worker was wearing a pedometer and he walked five miles. That was an easy day when we were concentrated among several rooms of documentaries and performance judging. When exhibit board judging begins, we are always on our feet going up and down between rows of tables the length of a basketball court. That walking is on the hard concrete floor of our county convention center and very hard on your legs and feet, so good shoes are a must. I already have trouble with my feet due to old age, fallen arches and weight gain. Even on a less active day, my feet hurt by the time I go to bed. Each year, just before History Fair, I buy a new pair of sneakers in an effort to save myself some agony. I had worn my new pair enough to know that they would be comfortable, but since they were white, first thing each morning when I went out to feed horses, I put on my crocs instead. Lest you think I am fashion conscious, I am not. Mine aren’t real crocs, but imitation ones from the feed store. I wear them because they make good barn shoes, not because they are in style. Because they are open and I don’t usually wear socks, sometimes my feet get dirty while doing chores. I have to walk through wet grass and sand just to get to the barn. There, I shuffle through wood shavings and manure. By the time I get back to the house, I usually have to wash off my feet before I put on my real shoes. On the busiest day of History Fair, I was running late, so instead of going to the bathroom to rinse my feet, I just brushed off the sand and put on my sneakers and socks. I could feel some dirt between my toes, but figured I was wearing closed toed shoes and no one would see it. What harm could there be? I walked and walked all day long and did not feel any discomfort, but by the end of the day, I realized I had made a big mistake. Where the dirt had been between and under my toes, were huge blisters caused by the friction of the dirt rubbing against my skin. Isn’t that the way sin is? We think, “Oh this is just a little sin. No one will notice it. I can keep on with my life and get away with it.” Yet, as we continue on with our day, it is eating away at us. Before we know it, the consequences of our sin have caught up with us and we are in a real mess. It is better not to ignore our poor choices and the temptations that face us each day. Instead, God wants us to bring them out in the open and give them to Him to wash us clean and blameless again.