Beautiful {Smelly} Feet

This morning I read Day 15 in Upside-Down Prayers for Parents (it’s part of our little Facebook Book Club with Home with the Boys, are you reading with us?) and as with every single chapter, I’ve uderlined almost every other sentence. The Scripture that is highlighted in today’s chapter is 2 Corinthians 2:14-15,

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Lisa explains a little more about this “aroma of Christ” in the chapter and says as we invest in our relationship with Jesus, “inevitably, that will make our fragrance all the more attractive, and in time, others will come to us, wanting to know Jesus better too.” This is for us with our children and for those we encounter. As we follow hard after Jesus, it will be a sweet fragrance, enticing those around us to our Savior. Isn’t that cool?!

Well, this verse made me think of another verse in Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Which led me back to the Good News Shoes for the Armor of God!

So, I grabbed the kids and all my little bottles of scented lotions which we sniffed as I read them the previous verses. We talked about how feet and shoes are usually stinky. But if we choose to put on our “good news shoes” and be ready to tell people about Jesus, our feet will be beautiful and a good kind of smelly!

OK. So, it might have been a stretch, but I’m telling you, the kids loved it. We rubbed lotion on our feet and then put on socks and shoes to go to the store. They felt like they had a secret with them–no one could see it, but they knew their feet were ready!

Asa sniffing his feet.

Perfume and beauty don’t seem to go with a big rough and tough armor but there is something interesting about how God even considers our feet when we are ready to tell others the good news. And here’s the thing: I am not expecting nor teaching my kids they need to seek people out to tell about Jesus. We may do that (and do it through missions, etc.) but what I really want for them is to be that fragrance to attract others and to have those shoes on to be ready to bring God’s peace to every situation and person they meet.

Don’t you think that’s what God wants? To enter a room ready to attract others to Him and His peace?

It was a simple activity and even though it seems like rigamarole to get from armor to perfume to beauty, I think the kids really did get the excitement of being ready to give something beautiful to whoever they encounter.

Whatcha’ think? Too girly for the Armor of God? Or would your kids like a good foot rub?

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