Small Things

Awhile back, I shared the adventure of learning my feet had popped out bunions! I don't think I'll ever forget that day. (Moment of silence, please.) Then it was on to the adventure of shoe shopping for these new feet of mine! And it's certainly been interesting!

I had a bit of apprehension of looking for shoes. What in the world am I going to find? AND where in the world will I find anything?! A pure and simple fact that God continues to remind me about with various life circumstances is his intimate knowledge of the small things. I see his love and care through these random small things. There are much "bigger" issues and heart needs in this world than for me to have shoes. Yet, as I've needed shoes to accomodate my newly formed bunions, slowly but surely I've seen God provide. Here's how He's done it with shoes....

A couple days ago I was wearing my "girly" shoes - you know, ladies, the ones that just make you smile and love the fact that you're a girl?! Yes, those shoes. Here they are - my girly shoes! For my new bunion feet! (FYI: Our camera has officially died. All proceeding pictures were taken with my phone which doesn't capture the colors very well.)

They were on a fantastic sale - one of those days you're not looking for anything but it just happens and you find yourself finding a pair that fits AND you learn it's been given a great big discount. "Don't mind if I do, I'll take them!" Those are fun finds. I did need to have them stretched at local shoe store since they rubbed my bunions just a wee bit too much. That cost $8. I found that interesting. It's not often I need to have my shoes stretched! A fun fact is that I can do a solid four hours in these cuties. Then my feet begin to kindly tell me it's time for .... wait for it .... what I affectionately refer to as "my grandma shoes."

Don't laugh. My feet LOVE them. I was skeptical. I'll be honest. I didn't know what I'd have to change to adapt to this new foot feature and I knew it might be something like these. The unique part about these is that they don't do the typical curve into the arch area - it's a solid base. Can't miss it. All I can say is, "when my feet are happy, I'm happy."

I never thought I'd say that. These are my go-to. My comfort. My home away from home. That is was grandmas should be about though, right! Thanks, grandma shoes, I really appreciate you. For the record, these babies offer a good toe box for the bunions (wiggle, toes, wiggle!) and the solid base I need for the pronating that I do when I walk. Check it out:

Yes-sirree! Can't get more solid than that I say. One. Solid. Block. Of. Shoe.

Some other finds that have joined the journey....

Rain/Snow boots! Never thought I'd have boots with this much fur. Yet when I again found a pair that fit (with my inserts!) at 70% off, I bought them! Fur and all.

Speaking of these inserts, because of the pronation (roll in) when I walk, the podiatrist recommended having inserts to help with the arch support and to slow the bunion growth. I insert them into all my shoes, except my "girly" ones. Here are my trusty Asics that have seen me through a triathlon and half marathon. Well, not these specifically but former friends that I've since retired.

I'm totally putting a plug in for Sole products. A sales guy told me about the inserts AND that they have sandals for feet problems - oh, that would be me! I bought the inserts from him (they're fantastic!) AND went online and found flip flops on clearance. Yes, I bought two.

Good arch support AND the straps go further down the foot than normal, which bypasses the tender bunion area - Win-Win.

Finally, Karl loves the sporty look. Again, a good toe 'box' and the wide base on the bottom. I'm glad he likes them! They are growing on me.

As I've been on this journey, I learned from an older woman friend who also has bunions that it's a good idea to rotate the shoes my feet are in each day. I can't remember her reasoning yet remember thinking it made sense. Now that I've been at this awhile, I would agree. My feet do much better as I rotate things around. I'll try to remember that the rain/snow boots won't work too well in the summer warmth though.

Along with being reminded of God's intimate knowledge of the small things, since adapting these new shoes and not necessarily being able to choose any style I want, I've learned that the shoe styles I couldn't figure out why anyone would buy much less wear.... well, they serve a purpose. They may not be the cutest or the most stylish yet they serve a need. Don't judge us that wear these weird shoes. They make our feet happy. Oh the lessons that I'm learning through shoes - it's the small things :)

Never Once

Hindsight is 20/20. And I'm still kind of in awe.

Last week as we were hanging out with our village (fancy name for a small group of people that intentionally interact with each other and the Bible and how it impacts our day to day life) from church to talk about the sermon from Sunday, the question was asked, "Do you have an experience where your vertical relationship with God affected your horizontal relationship with a person in your life?" Need I say that Karl and I turned towards each other, caught each other's eye and burst out laughing?! I proceeded to say, "Why yes, yes I do have an experience to share."

A few from our group had read the previous blog about our time in Cabo but I filled in the others who had not. We even had some of those good-from-the-gut laughable moments as I shared and Karl filled in with his antics. As I was sharing, it dawned on me....Had Karl actually been saying for this for the last several months yet I just wasn't getting it?! I asked him after we were done sharing and he kindly smiled at me and nodded his head. Apparently, I need a 2x4 to wake me up sometimes! A little "self-righteousness" and "self-absorbed" thrown at me will also do. AHH! I get it. Thanks, honey, for helping me wake up! For helping to draw me back to Jesus as the One who is the Righteous One, who is the Lord and who gives His glory to no other.

It's a mystery sometimes how blind I can be. Then again, no, no it's not. I've fallen short of God's glory - He's the perfect one. I am not. Ten-four - Roger that! A song we sang in church tonight (yes, we meet at 5 pm on Sundays - it's awesome!! P.S. I adore sleeping in on Sunday mornings and getting to spend the morning with my husband!) yes....back to the song, it's called "Never Once" by Matt Redman. The lyrics really meant something to me tonight:

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Yes. He is faithful. He can be nothing but faithful. It's His character and He doesn't change. I've been thinking about the motto of our wedding, the phrase we put on the magnets we gave our guests - a reminder that our marriage is "For His Name's Sake." 

He never left us on our own. Even as we struggled to understand each other. Even as I just wasn't getting it. Even as we kept hitting wall after wall. As I poured out my heart to God these last several months asking Him to change me because I just didn't know what else to do and in the midst of that wondering where He was because I just wasn't seeing the change...He was faithful. It may not have been in my timeline but in His time. He is faithful. Never once did He leave us alone.