Stumpy Toe
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God." (NIV)
I'm not sure how old I was when my grandfather gave me the name, but I'm
beginning to believe his prophecy marked me.
I didn't grow up so poor that I only had shoes in the winter and went shoeless
the rest of the time. But I did love to walk around barefooted as long as there
were no prickly weeds around.
My maternal grandparent's home had a wraparound porch, but Pappy wasn't much on
repairs so the boards were often rough from wear and need of paint. All factors
making it easy to stump a toe.
Forty years later I still haven't learned to walk without the occasional stump.
Admittedly, our home is littered with multiple pieces of furniture, yet the
culprits are not the pieces that sit close to my corridor but the ones that seem
to be far off the beaten path. So when I stump my toe, I wonder, "Now exactly
how did I run into that piece of furniture?" And since I weigh more now than
when I was a child, the force of the impact causes greater pain.
Unfortunately, furniture is not the only thing I've stumped my toe on. I've
bumped into anger, impatience, gossip, addictions, misplaced priorities, idol
worship, debt, disobedience, and a host of other random pieces of furniture.
Though I walk straighter now than I once did, occasionally my foot finds a place
off the straight and narrow, and God lets me stump my toe. He also allows me to
feel some painful consequences so I won't have the desire to walk there again.
Of course the good news is in the verse. No matter how much I stump my toe, God
won't stop loving me. Nothing can separate me from his love.
When we make mistakes and Satan brings them before God in an attempt to
discredit our usability and identity, God always replies, "Evidence
inadmissible."
Prayer: Father, when the world's enticements cause us to stump our toes, lead us
back on track and remind us You will never remove Your love.
Martin Wiles mandmwiles@homesc.com
Harleyville, South Carolina, USA
www.morningliteministry.com