MULTITRACKS
HOW DO YOU WASH A SHOE ? | Jesse Schaefer
“ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news , who proclaim peace , who bring good tidings , who proclaim salvation , who say to Zion , “ Your God Reigns !” - Isaiah 52:7
The year is 2019 . After wearing my black and white high-top Vans for about 6 years straight , it was time to retire them . Memento mori , I suppose . But , to offer yet another quote derived from stoicism , every new beginning comes from another beginning ’ s end . That ’ s right , it was time for some new kicks . And I wasn ’ t about to keep it simple . If you ’ re gonna invest in something , may as well go all the way and get what you want .
When I opened the UPS box they were shipped in , the room got brighter . Two pristine , all white , never been worn high-top Vans . The fabric was white , the laces and stitching where white , even the logos had been altered to be just ever so slightly off-white . These things could be used as flashlights at night … they shone so brightly . I was ecstatic . I chose the most bland outfit for the day I could imagine so these shoes could shine . I laced them up , put them on , and I was ready to rock .
Now it was time to prep a quick breakfast for my then 3-year-old son , and I ’ m out the door . Waffles and fruit , on the plate . Coffee in my travel mug ? Check . Grape juice in a kid ’ s cup ? Partially .
I can see it all in slow motion . I pour the grape juice in the cup . I turn to bring the juice container back to the fridge , and my elbow knocks the cup of dark purple sabotage straight down . No amount of fast footwork could change what was about to happen . My brand new , perfect , untouched by dirt or grime shoes were now saturated in purple .
But … how do you wash a shoe ?
As I look back on how worried I was about tarnishing my new shoes , I realize that it ’ s likely I didn ’ t wash the previous pair for the whole 6 years I had them ! Which is pretty gross to think about when presented typed out so plainly . These old shoes traveled the world with me . I was wearing those shoes when I found out I was going to be a first-time Dad . They were on my feet when I made a hard decision to change careers . Never washed once . And here I was worrying about a brand-new pair .
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news .
I ’ ll probably trip around this analogy in a few ways , but this verse and this memory have me thinking . As worship leaders , we “ proclaim the good news ” week in and week out . How beautiful ! But over time , how easy is it to become road worn ? How common is it to become so focused on the mission that we forget to wash our proverbial shoes every now and then ?
Is it possible that taking care of our “ beautiful feet ” means caring for the thing that houses them ? That protects them ? That enables them to go further and reach more people ?
Once could surmise that our “ feet ” in this analogy won ’ t be able to last very long if we