S7 E30: Take Off Your Shoes

The weather here in North Florida has been summery a mixture of a heat wave and storms. A few weeks ago I entered a store while the sun was shining and as I was pushing my cart out of the store I noticed the skies had darkened and the rain was coming down…

You might not know this about me but I hate getting rained on.  It’s one of those things that can put me in a bad mood real quick.

I hate the feeling of my clothes being damp as I have to drive home and I especially hate if I have on sandals and my feet get wet!!  Wet slippery feet in shoes in the worst hahaha

I know I’ve talked about the theme of the Summer Journal here on the podcast but I’m not sure if  I’ve talked about the aspect of play and stepping into the idea of a whimsical summer.  What I’ve said in the journal and here on the podcast are all meshed together at the moment so you’re either hearing it for the first time or again haha

Seasons are this miraculous dance between work and rest.  And we all have seasons where we absolutely need to have our heads to the ground focused on what we are putting our hands to. 

But the spirit of Summertime is all about the invitation to be childlike and playfulness… times to be refreshed and find real rest.

So back to me walking out of the store pushing a cart into a summer storm…

My initial thoughts were “Are you kidding me?!” and I quickly caught them and reminded those thoughts that we are living freely + lightly these days so what’s the plan…

I then processed to bend over and take off my shoes (I know that is totally grossing some of you out right now haha) but I did it and I”m not sorry about it haha

I took my shoes and stuck them down into one of the bags in the shopping cart and headed into the parking lot.

I then noticed all the huge puddles of water in my path.  Now normally as a grown adult woman, I would with great intention steer away from any standing water….

But when you are committed to living a summer of wonder and whimsy you proceed to do what your grandchildren would do…

You head straight for the puddle haha

I experienced it with my kids and now with the Grands …it’s like there’s some magnet that pulls them to any standing water and I”m always pulling an arm trying to redirect haha

So here I am purposely wading through puddles walking  barefoot through a parking lot ….basically living my best life hahahahaha

And I’ve got to tell you….it felt good.

It felt good to instead of getting frustrated and resisting getting wet

I walked straight into it and chose to follow whimsy and get wet!

We talk a lot about living life intentionally here on the podcast and that’s such an empowering thought and intention on the one side…

But life doesn’t always…match up to our expectations of how the days and weeks are going to look.

So do I still believe we should live intentionally absolutely …

We just need to make sure that intentionality continues when we have no choice but to enter the storm in front of us.

This season is more than likely going to bring a  summer storm or two your way.

And you might not have a choice of whether you have to walk through it but you absolutely have the choice in how you are going to walk through it.

I would love to remind you today whether you started this Summer season in the middle of a storm or understand there is more than likely one on the horizon …my hope and prayer is that you will intentionally take off your shoes…

And you will recognize the ground your feet are touching is sacred.

And you are not walking through any storm alone.

Just as I felt the hard pavement underneath my wet feet that day as I made my way through the parking lot.

Reminding me with my senses I am alive and I am supported.

I hope you are reminded of that truth today as well

Love you guys

Talk soon!