Take Your Shoes Off

Exodus 3 always moves me so much, but especially verse 5 when God says, "Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

1. Here's to encountering the God in the wilderness while you're shepherding sheep. I don't know anyone who wouldn't first think s/he was hallucinating.

2. Can we talk about how I'm pretty sure God, up to this point, hasn't told anyone to take off their shoes? If you think about it, these people are roughing it. We're talking the epitome of backpacking, but in long robes. They don't take their shoes off because the ground is probably hot, they don't want diseases, and it's customary to wear shoes. I'm pretty sure that most people of Middle Eastern/African/Asian descent did not wear shoes inside at this point because they had really ornate rugs on the floor and didn't want to soil them. Also, they ate on the floor, not on tables or with chairs like Europeans.

This being said, God is basically saying, "Hey, come into my house." ... Say what? Come inside God's house? That's pretty intimate.

I know Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph have all had pretty intimate encounters with God by this point, but outside of Adam and Eve in the Garden, I'm pretty sure they all wore those Jesus sandals.

Talk about being best friends.

I'm the kind of girl who, upon arrival at almost anyone's house, takes off her shoes. I'm not a shoe-wearer. I'd rather be barefoot.  Maybe God understands that?

I think it also says a lot about God's character - He obviously didn't care if Moses had smelly feet.

Fun fact: in transliterated Hebrew, Moses is actually Moshe, which is much more fun to say in my opinion.


"Take your sandals off your feet because [you're standing inside my house]."

My body is being stretched, both literally and figuratively, in some absurd desire for a change of pace and place. One day, my dear heart and soul. One day we'll watch the sunrise on another word in another town.



Audrey Assad – Sparrow on @Spotify
http://open.spotify.com/track/07YraAmiSmRomj2HjROlcS

The Exodus

Well this weekend has been an interesting one full of relaxation and stress all at once. I'm too fearful of separation anxiety to long for an extended break from school and its many facets

Friday night I was able to meet a dear friend for much needed quality time. It was in

credible to get some of those things off my mind, drink pumpkin spice tea, hear quality music, and just delve into one of those spirit-to-spirit encounters. I'm so thankful for the beautiful kindred spirits God has placed in my life.
I spent the majority of Saturday alone outside which was perfect. I'm well aware of the general disdain for the warmth among my peers and others in Georgia, but I am ever so thankful for it. Winter and I don't usually get along and, after pulling out my year-old long sleeved tees, this year will be no different. None of them quite fit after my weighty summer which according to my health is an incredible thing, but according to my bank account is not so fabulous.
It was wonderful to be back at Connect Rome today. I love that I can just worship there with no insecurities about what others may think. That's a God thing, not a CR thing, but there is just something about worshipping among your family.
We started our trek through Exodus, which has to be one of my all-time favorite books in the Bible I know that's ironic considering that it's an Old Testament book, part of the Torah, and really seems to have significance beyond simple Bible stories and illustrations from childhood, but it's incredible. I love chapter 3 when Moses tries to make excuse after excuse and God just says "do what I say..oh, and tell them to call me Yahweh." Talk about personal.
Even better is when the plagues are all over and God tells Moses that each first born male in Egypt will die, but He gives special instructions for the Hebrew people.
Kill their healthiest, purest lamb or goat and put the blood on the lintel and doorposts - the motion of this, as I learned to day, is in somewhat of a cross-shape.  Inevitably, they were putting the blood of an innocent on their doors in order to keep them safe. God told them to eat the meat with bitter herbs and leave none of it left for the morning.  This is the origin of Passover. God basically said, "Do what I tell you and I'll pass over you."
Isn't it so fitting that He died during Passover and rose again? He shed his blood to put on the doorposts and the lintel in order to save us. "Do this in remembrance of me," Jesus said. What an incredible picture of His salvation from beginning to end. Two times God has shown us an exodus through the spilling of innocent blood.
Wow aren't we blessed?