Burned and Blistered

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. (Lamentations 3:29, The Message)

Trouble nipped at my heels. Didn’t seem to matter what kind of shoes I wore, my heels were still blistered. I’d bought new hiking boots, wore them around for a couple of weeks before I hiked. I thought they were broken in.

Once I got to the summit, my heels stung like they were on fire. I pulled off the boots and propped my feet on the bolder. Huge bubbles formed on the sides of my heels. It figured. I was alone ... no bandaids, and a two-mile trek back.

It was a hard month. Our lives were shrouded with hurt and frustration and now we had a life-altering decision to make. I’d prayed over a year for a solution while God pondered. So, I hiked the mountain seeking the quiet, hoping for an answer — to listen. Wait. All I got ... blisters!

God promises to hear our cries, to guide us. He asks us to pray continually, believe and trust that He will provide resolution. He is a faithful God, good for His promises and true to His children. Even when we feel as though we are about to break, He promises that with every temptation, with every situation, He will make a way of escape. “

… And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

What a hope — what a respite we have in Christ.

I blew on the watery blisters then pinched them. Clear fluid drained. I could walk barefoot but the path was filled with sharp rocks. I pressed a tissue against the sores, pulled on my socks and boots and suffered through the sting.

By the time I reached the bottom, I understood what needed to be done. Walk head-on into the fire. It would burn worse than the blisters on my heels but it was the right decision.

When life hits us hard, God encourages us to walk into the flames, just like the three Hebrew boys. Their lives were made fireproof by the faith they held in a mighty God.

My blisters hurt. But they could have been worse. They could have bled. I could have crawled down the mountain instead of walked. Band-Aids, soft socks, and cushy shoes waited at the foot of the trail, but I had to fight through the pain to get to them. And in my trials, I had to look for God’s escape passage.

My boots are broken in now. They’ve molded to my feet and I don’t get blisters anymore, but it took work and wear to get them to a comfortable spot. When I wonder why God calls us into the fire, I remember how He called His Son to the cross and figure any discomfort I feel pales in comparison.

When you seem at wit’s end — blistered and burned, push on. Tough times toughen feet, leading you to an abundance of mountain-top experiences.