Light on Your Feet

¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 ESV

Parker is my 21-month-old granddaughter. She’s been walking for about six months and now everything is a run.  I really think she may take after her dad and run track. I’ve been visiting for the Christmas holiday and I’ve noticed something.  Parker walks really heavily. I mean you think she has on steel-clad boots.  She’s definitely not going to sneak up on anybody with that trot!  But there are other times when she walks on her tiptoes. It’s as if she’s trying to make herself taller and reach up for something.  At other times, she looks like she’s exercising her calves.  Who knows what is going on in the mind of a toddler?  It’s certainly interesting to watch and wonder.

Watching Parker walk, whether it’s the heavy-laden walk or the light-as-air walk, made me ponder if there was a lesson. What holds us down and makes your feet feel like bricks?  What lifts us up and makes us able to move effortlessly? Is it possible that God is in both scenarios?

Sometimes we can be in situations where it feels like we are slogging through the muckety muck. It could be a work situation or a personal situation where every day is “one more thing” that we can’t possibly make it through. Then you realize that you can because you did yesterday. Is the movement exhausting mentally and physically?  Probably.  But it’s movement all the same. And heck…some days if we are honest, there’s no movement at all.  It’s just the status quo. Grounded. Upright. Steady. Sure.

Sometimes we can be moving through life and everything is just hitting perfectly.  You’re light on your feet.  In the words of Bill Weathers some days are just “A Lovely Day”.  (In case I just dated myself, Google it.) Perhaps the presentation you worried over was delivered smooth as butter. Perhaps the loan to start or expand your business came through. Perhaps an unexpected card or text came in from a friend. You are flowing.  Girl, I see you!

Yet know this..whether you’re in your flow or in a fight, God is there. Don’t believe me?  Read on. Philippians 4:13 is a familiar passage, often quoted and often misinterpreted.  It might make you believe that you are going to be enabled to accomplish all the things you dream of with Chrst’s supernatural anointing. But you have to go back up to verses 11-12 where it talks about situations and circumstances. Those situations are the all the things that verse 13 is talking about. The things may be by your design and maybe not. Regardless of the heavy footsteps days or the airy footsteps days, we really can be light on our feet (and do all the things) when we know God is with us.

Let’s pray…

God,

Sometimes, scratch that, most times we only want the walking on air days. Help us to understand that there is also meaning in the heavy days when it’s all we can do to put one foot in front of the other or when we can just stand there in the mukety muck and say “this sucks”. You are there. Help us to appreciate the light days when everything is rainbows and roses.  We know you are there too.You’re not a fickle kind of God where you pick and choose which days you are with us and which days you aren’t.  Help us to be more like you, consistent in our praise and our prayers. Amen.