No small sacrifice

a gesture of sacrifice
Originally uploaded by radioflyer007

I've been meaning to blog about a recent experience that left Air Boss and me shoeless for a whole day. It started out by going to church on a regular Sunday a few weeks back. The title of the sermon was something like "What Would Happen If Everyone Made Small Sacrifices?"

Pastor Erwin McManus made succinct points like "love always demands sacrifice" (and to further elaborate "while love can be the most exhilerating experience, it can be the most demanding") and "we are not simply to receive love but we are also to be conduits of love."

Well somehow towards the end of the sermon, Pastor Erwin spoke about Moses' encounter with God through the burning bush. Moses was commanded by God to take off his sandals for he was standing on holy ground. Moses obeys and received God's calling for him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God gives Moses signs of His power (including turning Moses' staff into a snake and back to a staff again). The pastor's point was that no where does the Bible record that Moses put his sandals back on again after his encounter with God - but he did gain a shepherd's staff that would perform miracles for the benefit of the Israelites.

Pastor Erwin then took off his shoes on stage and challenged us to do the same . . . only instead of simply putting them back on, he challenged us to sacrifice our shoes for others who are on their feet all day and yet do not own a single pair of shoes.

"What? You mean, like, right now?!" were my thoughts. "How will I get home without shoes?"

As I pondered these questions, Air Boss had already taken off his tennis shoes and was beginning to stand up. I looked down at my only pair of black dress shoes. Unlike Air Boss, I wasn't wearing any socks. Walking barefoot in a public place (a high school nonetheless) icked me out.

"C'mon," Air Boss challenged and yet encouraged me.

I took them off and walked with him to the front of the auditorium where literally HUNDREDS of other people were doing the same. I noticed that some people immediately jumped up and without a moment's hesitation gave up their shoes. Others visibly struggled with the decision and even after the service ended ten minutes later, some were still walking up to the front of the stage. I saw one woman visibly sorrowful as she walked her (very nice and quite possibly very new) leather boots to the stage and place them among the others.

Honestly, it wasn't such a big sacrifice to give my shoes up (although I can't imagine how many homeless people in the streets of LA will find use in a pair of women's size 5 black high-heels but that will be God's problem and not mine). It was, however, a bigger inconvenience to spend the rest of the day without shoes. We didn't get home that day until close to 8 PM. And I was hoping that 'Shroom and Lolli wouldn't have to use the restroom because there was no way I was going to take them into a public restroom barefoot!

All the shoes were dontated to a local homeless shelter and probably with the exception of the flip flops (although there were some nice leather flip flops on that stage), this donation may have been the best they have received. Current styles and trends along with recognizable brand-names were well represented. These weren't your "old-and-worn-so-let's-donate-them" type of shoes.

It makes me realize that a simple sacrifice as giving up the shoes on my feet can mean a lot to a person who gave up his life in a horrific way on the cross. Sacrifices don't have to be huge to be meaningful. I don't think Jesus wants us to experience the same torture he had to endure. But I think he wants us all to live a life of sacrifice and service.

Wow. The shoes on the stage may have been a big sacrifice for some and a small one for others. But on this Easter Day, there is no question that what Jesus did on that cross was no small sacrifice.