I had gotten some new tennis shoes last fall. When I first got the shoes and exercise-walked in them I found that blisters appeared. However, because they were new shoes at that time I just figured that I was breaking them in and they would be fine in time. Well, the walking for exercise went by the wayside between rain, stress, and emotionally experiencing Daddy's home going. I knew when summer started they should have been "broken in" with regular use to help me get back into my exercise routine this summer.
After my Daddy's death and the end of a stressful school year, I began walking for exercise again. I enjoyed walking four miles at a time - it was cathartic. I honestly wanted to just keep walking and never stop - I wanted to walk away from the pain and stress of the past year and begin to feel alive again. After I had walked those first four miles, I developed blisters on my feet! I thought my shoes had been worn enough to have gone through the breaking-in period and not be giving me blisters. I decided I was trying to walk too fast too soon and should just slow down and pace myself.
The next time I walked, I bandaged the blisters, used a balm on my feet to protect from more blisters, and tied my shoes up tighter to ensure they were not slipping. Unfortunately, I came home with even more blisters - and even irritated the blisters that I thought I had protected. It became so awful that I could not go for my walks and even struggled to stand in any kind of shoe! I felt like my time of healing came to an abrupt stop.
It was suggested to me that I get my shoes checked out because it appeared that the shoes were causing the problem and not how I was walking in them. I had bought these same types of shoes for so long that I did not know how they could be wrong for me, but I was willing to check it out. The guy that helped me at the shoe store showed me that the shoes I had were the correct type of shoe for how my feet are formed and how I walk. However, my shoes may not have been in the shape I assumed when I bought them. To be economical, I bought the shoes online and they were probably the ones released from a few years ago. He told me that shoes over a year old can be stored in warehouses that are not heat/cold controlled. The varying temperatures can actually break down the shoe and what you think you are buying is actually not what you thought!
After purchasing new shoes - and a new brand - I began my walking again and my feet felt secure. My blisters were still there but protected. I finally was able to get back out and walk with strength and purpose. I still have the scars of those blisters at the time of this writing, but they are healing and revealing healthy skin.
As I began walking again, and was able to begin healing emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually, the Lord reminded me of this passage of Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
If your feet are not well, it causes the whole body to suffer. I struggled to stand on my feet when my blisters were inflamed - and it did not matter whether I was barefoot or wearing different shoes - my whole body felt them. Nothing I did on my own helped keep away the blisters - I had on the wrong shoes! This above portion of Scripture is recognizable for many believers. I have listened to many pastors preach on each one of these pieces of armor. As I dealt with my shoe problems this summer, I began to more deeply understand the shoes of our spiritual armor needing to be ones of PEACE.
In the passage above, the Apostle Paul used the example of the Roman soldier to help convey the importance of putting on our Armor of God for the spiritual battles we face. The Lord has the armor ready for us, but we must choose to put each one on to protect us as we do battle every day. We definitely have to have on our "Belt of Truth" and "Breastplate of Righteousness" as they are foundational to our ability to fight spiritual battles successfully. However, I have found that the shoes do not always get the same discussions as those top two.
The word "stand" is used repeatedly in Ephesians 6:10-17. Obviously, a soldier would need to stand strong in the face of the battle - and we have to take stands in our spiritual battles. How do we stand well without the right shoes? How do we walk forward into battle with irritating blisters that have come from those wrong shoes?
This caused me to ponder.
Am I wearing shoes in my spiritual battles that are the right fit but might be old models of the past?
Have the shoes been ones of things I learned a few years ago from God's Word? Had those gone through the hot and cold of trials in life and lost their stability so that as I began to walk my feet were not as secure as I once thought?
Am I getting spiritual blisters on my feet because of those ill-fitting shoes?
Where can I find shoes of PEACE?
I cannot depend on what was the "spiritual model" from years ago. Past spiritual models may cause friction of pride, depression, anger, or disobedience and create blisters that will inhibit me from standing and walking well in my spiritual battle. No matter what I may use to help heal the blisters on my own will fail if the shoes are the problem!
The shoes of peace can only be found by staying close to God's Word and allowing Him to reveal the best fit for me at that time in my life. Only He can heal the blisters from the past and help me to stand firm while walking with Him.
What shoes are you wearing?
