It all started when the cast iron griddle fell off the shelf
and onto my foot, striking just above my left big toe. No bones broke or
fractured, but then again, nothing was ever quite right after that either. Even
though it happened over a year ago, my toe still aches from time to time when I
land on it just the wrong way.
And when my toe is in pain, I’ll shift my gait ever so
slightly to try and lessen that pain. That puts odd stress on my left ankle. Which
means my left hip starts to bother me. Then I’ll put more pressure on my right
leg as I limp to compensate, which causes my right knee to act up. Which means
my back gets thrown out of alignment because I end up moving in this weird,
herky-jerky motion as I hobble around. Who knew my big toe could make me a
physical wreck?
A foot problem causes a chain reaction that wreaks havoc
with many, many other parts of your body, primarily because the toes and the
foot are intended to provide stability to the rest of you. They are the
foundation on which you stand, and if they have a problem, you won’t stand correctly
for long.
What are you standing on, thinking it will hold you up? The
stock market, job, social status, bank account, friends or family name? They
might not be as stable over the long term as you think. People shift. Seasons
change. Things happen. So what or who do you rely on for stability when little things
go wrong, and start adding up to bigger and bigger problems, wreaking havoc
with your life?
Jesus said a person who comes to Him, hears His words and
puts them into practice “is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and
laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house
but could not shake it because it was well built” (Luke 6:47-48).
