servants – Aspirational Adventures

Mary and Martha

I wrote a post either on here on or Substack exploring how I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed and how, though QEC, prayer and free writing, I managed to get to a calmer place. And, on the whole I’m still holding that place, even though this week has been crazy!! My elderly dog has to have his eye out due to a persistent eye ulcer, I’ve got to have some major gum cleaning over several weeks, the little dog still needs some training, the writing groups are growing, and my head is full. As well as all this I’ve had my lovely daughter staying and then in about 10 days I’m potentially off south to see my Mum. I was also worrying about housework-type things, of decluttering and decorating, and of reading a friend’s poems, catching up on emails, and of finding time to sort out more courses for my writing groups, plus finding time for my own writing.

The overwhelm was creeping up again!!! And I can’t get to this lovely place at the moment! But God/The Universe has another plan!

Well I love it when God/The Universe have a something to say and the way they say it. My husband has our new car radio tuned to UCB [United Christian Broadcasters] and I forget to change it before I start driving. So yesterday, after the dentist and before the vet trip, I was driving and popped it on. There was a woman promoting the book she’d written and it started with her saying “and Martha was in the kitchen trying to put together a three course meal.”

Well I reacted to that because I’d read somewhere about how Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus, were wealthy, so I shouted at the radio “But they had servants” to which I felt God reply “And?”

Well then this is what unfurled …..

Mary was sat at Jesus feet because she knew the servants were more than capable of sorting out food for everyone. This might have been the first time Jesus came to eat but they would have often entertained, which is why Jesus knew he wasn’t intruding or making life difficult.

But Martha didn’t quite trust those servants so she was rushing behind them, fussing over them, trying to tell them their job, tell them how to do things extra-specially, as if they didn’t know.

At the moment I knew I could lay things down and trust those who know what they are doing. My dentist knows what’s best for my teeth and, as she herself said, she wouldn’t do work on me if it didn’t need doing. My vet also has had years of training and knows what is best for my dog and wouldn’t be taking his eye out if he didn’t need it.

As for those other things I have to listen not just to my heart as to whether I want to do them or not, whether I am meant to do them now or not, but I need to look at the things in my life that have to be done, which I suppose it also a heart thing.

And I need to trust God/The Universe that I will get done what I should get done for each single day and not worry about either what doesn’t get done or about tomorrow. I think “your will be done” in my life means that I do what has been allotted for me today and let go of the rest.

And the Peace of God, Which Transcends All Understanding… – Bible Inspirations

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Why Wash Feet Not Hands?

I know why Jesus washed his disciples feet – because it was what servants did to everyone who entered the house. It was to wash the dirt of the streets off those sandaled [without socks] dirty, dusty, feet. It is something that is repeated across many churches on Maundy Thursday [yesterday] across the world, and sometimes used at other times of the year to signify someone, generally in leadership, desiring to serve others.

Back in Jesus’s day it was easy though to wash feet. I’m not sure if they did it with or without sandals but even if it was without then it was easy to slip off a sandal. I remember once being at a meeting where this woman wanted to wash all our feet. Great gesture I thought, but I was wearing long boots with buckles etc and I was worried my socks would be holey or something. For me it was a big hassle and I got grumpy about it. It would have been so much easier if she’d washed my hands instead. No faffing with taking boots off, no then having to get feet properly dry before putting socks and boots back on again. Easy!

Easy but actually doesn’t really signify anything.

I think the reason that it should still be feet is because it is more of a thing, more of a faff. And hands one should wash often.

Hands we wash ourselves on a regular basis – before eating, after the toilet, before preparing food, after craft activities, etc.

How often do you really wash your feet? Ok so you stand in the shower or lie in the bath and your feet get wet and hopefully cleaned off from the water around you. But do you really give your feet the attention that you give your hands?

Feet are really important to our daily health. Here’s a quote from the government’s Medline Plus website

Foot problems … can sometimes signal other health issues such as arthritis, diabetes, or nerve damage. Left untreated, they can even cause pain and dysfunction in other parts of your body, including your back, hips, and knees.

And this one

Our feet, containing a quarter of the bones in our body, bear the weight of our entire body daily!

Our feet, that so many of us take so little care of, look after us so much.

So I think, even though yes as I say again I know the Middle Eastern servant reason for Jesus washing his disciples’ feet but also I think whenever we are in a place that does the washing of feet Last Supper tradition that we keep it as feet and don’t turn it into the easier washing of hands. It is like remembering to say that we are going to care for those bits that get forgotten, that get hidden away and yet are so important to our whole well being.

Perhaps in this modern day when this is done as well as remembering backwards to Jesus we can also think about those people who get forgotten and often who are hidden but who are so important.

Duh that’s what servants were!

Look after your feet because they are your often forgotten servants. And look after those in your community who are hidden but important. And don’t try and skip to something easier.