I have purple toes.

Really, it’s true.

It’s some medical thing where I look down at my feet sometimes and without even knowing it, my toes will be purple.  It’s a family lineage thing.  It’s normal to me now, but I sure to get some funny looks from people in the summer when they find themselves gazing at my grape-colored toes peeking out the front of my flip-flops.

I’ve had this condition since I can remember but it has gotten more prominent as I age, especially in my left foot.  HOWEVER, as I sit and bend my toes TODAY to get circulation moving through them, I am over-the-moon excited to realize I can bend them all downward once again! 

You see, for the last couple of years, the middle toe on my left foot has started to become “unruly” and has chosen not to bend downward alongside her neighboring four friends.

That being said, just a few short weeks ago, I was walking down a flight of carpeted stairs and as the bottom of the staircase started to curve towards the main floor, my right foot completely slipped out from under me and my left foot took the direct hit to the main floor below with my toes curling up under the pressure of my body. 

Immediately after, I walked right back up the stairs and felt just fine. 

The next day, I didn’t feel so fine…. 

My whole left foot began to turn red and ache, and eventually bruise.  I had clearly strained my foot and toe muscles and couldn’t walk on my foot without pain for a few weeks.  Once I could start putting weight back on it, several toes still felt sensitive to the touch, and bending them was out of the question.  However, I tried to remain positive as I was glad I could begin to put weight (gently and slowly) again on my left foot.

That’s really the main part of the story.  But, it did cause me to reflect and that’s the part I really want to share…..

Although it was just a short time in my life, it was painful. 

It slowed me down in every way possible.

These bruised, injured purple toes made me long for the day I would have my strong purple toes back.

So, today when I look back at all the suffering, (and complaining), that occurred, it dawned on me that healing eventually did begin to take place.  Not only that, but although my toes returned to the toes occasionally decorated with a coat of purple, they are better now after going through the hurt.  Somehow, they are back to bending completely downward and are even more springy than they have been in a very long time.  Even my unruly middle toe!

I know it’s just a silly story about my left foot digits, but it really got me thinking about the way that Jesus sometimes presents himself in our lives.

He will allow us to go through hurt.

But as we do, He’ll invite us put our arm around His shoulder while He lifts us onto our feet.  If we let Him, He will teach us to put our weight on Him as He gently walks us through the array of difficult circumstances in our lives. 

Jesus does not promise our toes may not always carry a purple tinge, but HE does promise He’ll give us the strength and provisions we need to keep walking on them anyway.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” 

Ephesians 3:16-19 (New International Version)