Yesterday was warm here in the city by the bay. But because I need to get back into shape, I decided to get out and go for a run along the bay front on my lunch hour. Yes, I know there are probably better times of the day to do that, but none the less, that is what I did.
Things went well for the first mile or so. Then I started noticing something dragging on my left shoe. The dragging got worse. So I stopped and realized the sole of my left shoe was coming off. I attempted to continue to run – just trying not to lift my left foot any higher than necessary. But, the sole finally just fell off. At first I thought, well, I will run without a sole on that shoe. Then the right shoe started doing the same thing. So I ended up pulling the right sole off as well and walking back to the church – soles in hand.
The experience led to many comical comments. Comments like, “the heat was so bad it just melted the soles off your shoes,” or “you must have been running so fast you ran off and left your soles.” The reality is the word “running” is a little misleading for what I do. Mine is more of a semi-controlled falling forward with a lot of gasping for air.
At any rate, the whole scenario has had me thinking about soles – but of the more spiritual kind – souls. Just as the sole of a shoe is important, our souls really are the most real thing about us. This past Sunday, I preached a sermon on human identity. I talked about the fact that each of us is a soul that inhabits a temporary body. Our soul is that part of us that will live forever and that makes us who we are – our body is just the vehicle our soul travels around in.
Our world has influenced us to think we are bodies that happen to have a soul. But the opposite is actually the truth – each of us is an eternal soul that just inhabits a temporary body. How different would your life be if you spent as much time caring for your soul as you do your body – feeding it, resting it, exercising it.
Just as running on hot pavement is so much better with soles on your feet; the living of your life will go so much better with a healthy soul.
The soles of our shoes are important, but the soul within us is what matters most. Take some time today caring for your soul. Spend time in rest, time in God’s word, time in prayer. Your soul is hungry for what only God can provide.
Now – – to find a new pair of shoes.
Clay in the Hands 