Day 45 = "Take off your shoes"

And He said, "Draw not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" - Exodus 3:5 (KJV).

This scripture has quite a lot of personal significance for me. As a teenager, I experienced the usual angst, fears and turmoil that most western kids go through in their growing up years, with the normal amount of feeling isolated and misunderstood, with the same challenges and confusions to get through en-route to becoming a fully-fledged adult. But each time, I encountered a situation which I felt too great to conquer, too big to overcome, too difficult to pass through unscathed, God would reach into my life and heart, and shake my emotions just that little bit to show me that actually nothing was too great for Him to help me through. And each time He did so, it was accompanied by this scripture and a desire to remove my shoes.

So, much to my comrades' glee and my authorities' wonderment, I wore flip-flops to exams for easy removal, flip-flops to the doctor's which I slipped off when asked to sit in that chair, flip-flops to friends' and family members' funerals, flip-flops to presentations, and even to church on occasion and my own wedding. If anyone was puzzled over why I wear flip-flops so often, in the winter, cold and on rough terrain, here's the answer. I still continue to wear flip-flops today, when I'm ill or visiting those close to death, unduly stressed or ecstatically delighted over an upcoming opportunity or special occasion. (I also wear them for non-spiritual comfort throughout the summer).

I don't feel that designated places of worship are the only areas which are holy ground; planes, trains, buses, schools, hospitals, exam halls and parks, to name but a few, can also take on that sacred quality. And each time I don a pair of flip-flops for easy removal and an unspoken, divine understanding, I remember God, feel closer to Him and have a greater motivation and reminder to pray more frequently and in a more profound way. I feel the prayer and holiness coursing through my veins, reaching all of my extremities and deep into my heart.

I had a lot of these experiences this week, what with my myriad illnesses and all-consuming moments of awe from riding several cable cars. There's nothing quite like the perspective of height to make me feel closer to God, not in the sense of being higher into the heavens, but brought about by the ability to see and take in a vast array of sights that God has created for our pleasure. So my method of prayer today was instructed shoe removal for the dual purposes of feeling more supported by God and getting the chance to become more affined with holy ground.