This is Jenn, one of the young ladies from our Mexico trip, who experienced her own Rite of Passage through this experience.


The other night I was doing some work on my laptop, here at home. I was in the same room with Deanna and Lauren, but got pretty focused on what I was doing. The time came when they were headed off to bed, so I shut everything down, grabbed my empty tea glass and computer and headed for the kitchen.

The lights had been turned off, but there was enough light from our entry hall for me to see what I needed to...or so I thought.

The rooms that lead to the kitchen have pergo flooring. The kitchen floor has smooth white tile in it. This is not usually an issue. Tonight it was.

I had noticed earlier that Deanna had left her spot where we were seated, and I began to hear kitchen clean-up type noises. I thought about how hard she works and how much I love her, and how fortunate I am to be married to her. Then I drifted back to the computer.

As I headed to the kitchen that night, I was realizing that Deanna was already in our bedroom. More time passed than I was aware of. Lauren sat nearby at the piano, working out a new song.

I was feeling a bit guilty and mildly annoyed with myself for not getting up when Deanna did, when the unexpected happened.

I was crossing from our dining room into our kitchen when it happened. The thing every man doesn't like thinking about, but fears one day may come to pass.

One foot on the dining room floor the other in the kitchen and suddenly I was doing the splits. My foot had hit a recently mopped floor that was now shrouded in darkness, and it came out from under me. In those brief moments where I went from upright to upended, I secured the glass and computer to protect them. The result was that I landed hard the left of my backside! So hard that pain raced through my body, and I grew lightheaded.

Lauren came running followed by Deanna. Lauren grabbed the contents of my hands and I rolled over to get my head as low as possible to stave off the passing out I was afraid was coming.

I was reminded in those moments of a study I was recently doing on Ephesians 6 the full armor of God. I was reminded because I had learned something I never knew before. The passage that conveys that we should shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace implied something much deeper than I knew. The picture of this returned to my mind and caused me to wish I had been adorned with these shoes.

In that day, the Roman soldiers wore shoes that not only had grieves to protect their shins, but were fitted with spikes to make their footing sure and could double as lethal weapons.

I should always be ready, in any situation. Having the full armor of God protects and brings readiness for being defensive or going on the offense.

I know I was only taking my glass to the kitchen sink, but had I paid closer attention to what I was doing, had I been fitted with the right shoes, I would not have slipped.

How often is this true in our lives. We are mindlessly doing something of seeming relative insignificance, when the enemy attacks and we are not prepared.

There is a price to be paid for not being prepared.

In this case, I am still sore, and expecting a beauty of a bruise. Fortunately, that is it.

Often times, we sacrifice our Savior's reflection from our own lives because we are not prepared enough to deal with the unexpected.

We need to be ready at all times. Not just having our feet shod with the Gospel of peace, but every element secure in position, that we might bring Him the greatest glory!

Watch your step, and I'll gingerly be watching mine.

dad