Saturday, 10 October 2009

• Pedicures and Feet-Washing: Following Jesus' Example of Servanthood

  For the past six months I've been living at home. I've seen and dealt with many things, a big one being my mother's back problems. She's now getting treated, but it has not been an easy road for her, having one bulging and two herniated discs. I've had to fight the urge to scream when she tells me to carry her laptop case or, like during a recent trip we took, handle all the luggage. I know the great pain that she has been in, but surely there has to be an end to how much servitude I must provide.

  For years my mother has been pampered. She gets her hair dyed at least once a month. She has a full set of nails put on and a pedicure every two weeks at least. She maintains that they are necessary for her business reputation as a CEO for a non-profit. I think that this pampering has gone to her brain and that it is part of the reason she refuses to pick up her laptop bag now that her back is injured. When you have bellmen and airport luggage guys to answer your beck and call, why would you want to do any of the work?

  On Saturday, my servitude to my mother hit a new low. She asked me to file her toenails. Trust me, when she asked, I was just as weirded-out as you are now. It was an outlandish thought that she would want me to file her toenails. There are some things you do for your parents because they gave you life, but did I really have to do that? Yes, I did. I was initially adverse to her request, but then I thought about the reasons why I should. She didn't have the money--with all of her back issues, she's now had to forgo her "pampering" to pay the medical bills. It was the right thing to do; it was the Christian thing to do--to love my mother with kindness even though I really wanted to impale her with something for her selfishness and vanity.

  Initially, I agreed because it's easier to acquiesce to her demands than hear her whine, but as I filed them I remembered that, not so long ago, our Lord did something similar. Despite the fact that Christ washed the disciples' feet before His death, it's still important the He washed them. There is an important lesson in humility to be found from helping my mother.

  Do not get high and mighty the next time you're at the nail salon! I was inconvenienced for less than ten minutes to help my mother, but yet there are people out there every day that give of themselves so that our feet can look coiffed. Jesus gave of himself so that the disciples could be clean and carry out the truth; we should look at our pedicurists and remember that message. Even though if you really look at it, we shouldn't be focused on the hair salon or the nail salon at all, since they only add vanity, which can become a negative force in our lives. If we really wanted to live a Christian life, we should give up these activities, profess Christ's love and file our neighbors toe nails...for free out of humility.

  We can't allow our girly nature to lead us astray from Him. Sure, it feels good to have someone pamper us, to wash our feet, but the only one who can truly redeem us and make us spiritually clean is Christ! We need to remain focused on Him, not on ourselves. As I was filing my mother's toe nails, I felt sad for her. Yes, she maintains that she is a Christian, and she's sacrificing 40% of her income this year to help keep her foundation afloat, but shouldn't she be letting go of her vanity and trusting God? So what if her hair gets gray and her feet aren't polished? All He cares about is whether or not we give of ourselves and live under his guidance. I love my mother, but sometimes I really think that her pedicures are getting in the way of her faith.

  What are some things in your life that could act as a source of vanity?
  

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