BIG Shoes to Fill — “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
OK she’s amazingly cute, I know! 🙂 Our grand daughter Jimmie (my namesake) melts our hearts. She also keeps us on our toes as well (see our son Chad’s ready position). This impromptu pic was snapped at last evening’s family dinner. And thanks to all her doting grandparents, Jimmie doesn’t lack for kid friendly toys. However last night she opted for her Papa Jim’s smelly boots, trying them on for size.
And that’s what kid’s do right?
Little ones watch us, and model us — and very often become like us. And that’s a sobering thought for any parent or grandparent for that matter. Kid’s want to “try on” and be like those they look up to. Often I remind parents, “You are your child’s primary discipler”.
Now lest you get the wrong impression that Sharon and I were model parents, doing everything just right (whatever that is) — we weren’t. I often tell people our kids learned as much from our mistakes and shortcomings as they did from our intentional parenting. That’s the God and grace part. Nonetheless as the old adage goes, “little pictures have big ears”.
As parents, and now grandparents, Sharon and I have a short list of legacy traits we practice and God willing are becoming. Our prayers are that our family now, and in generations to come will be marked by the words of the Apostle Paul, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Romans 10:15 NLT
In a world of often harsh and bleak news, what would it look like for us to be messengers of “good news”? Messengers of love and care, and of inclusion and hospitality, and loving all people, being champions for the least, the lost, and the lonely?
I know, they’re BIG shoes to fill, right? But what if we all tried? What if we made it our legacy to be conduits of the “good news” of Jesus. What if?
Eugene Peterson in The Message writes of this verse,
“But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!”
May it be so with us to fill the BIG shoes of the GOOD news!
Jim
