"Pedicured" to have Hind's Feet

As I went for my typical early morning run/walk, several doe and about four buck graced my view for quite a spell.  Grazing quietly by the side of the dirt road I trod, they looked up at me and stared, as If I were a parade going past – a Peg-parade.  They didn’t bother to run off (either I’m not very threatening, or they have learned to spot a hunter with bow & arrow or gun – I imagine it’s the latter).  Their ears twitched; they looked back at one another; and they went back to grazing.  A little distance later, I turned and caught them bounding off, hopping a barbed wire fence with effortless grace.  That’s when the thought crossed my mind:  I don’t just want beautiful feet, I want deer’s feet.  Don’t’ get me wrong.  I still want to be me.  I just want to be me with deer’s feet. 

Let me explain.  I tend to be a bit unsteady on my feet.  Those who traveled with us to Cuba in 2010 can attest to this when I completely missed a step-down and bounced my head twice off a marble floor.  Before that (on another walk), I missed a step-up and broke my navicular scaphoid (yes, if I’d been a horse, I’d have been shot-on-the-spot).  Before that, I was jumping with a weighted rope, missed, and broke my ankle.  Before that…well, you get the idea and don’t need a running list of my many mishaps.  The point is that deer have sure feet.  Steady feet.  They not only hop over barriers as if they were little stones in a creek bed, but they climb difficult places with great ease.  They go places where I would dare not even try, but would love to go (there are exhilarating views in those places).  I want sure feet. 

After one of those mishaps where I broke something or other (it may have been my head), one of my girls laughingly quoted me a Scripture reference.  It’s found in Psalm 18.  Here’s what David said, “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places…  Thou dost enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped (33, 36).”  To this my funny girl-child said, “You must be doing something wrong.”  Not fair! 

However, in every criticism there could be an element of truth.  Here it is, spiritually speaking (this doesn’t help my physical stumbling).   Here’s what David says in commentary to his feet not slipping in the previous Psalm (17:5):  “My steps have held fast to Thy paths.  My feet have not slipped.”  Another psalmist used the same terminology (Asaph in Psalm 73:2-3), “But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”  Both David and Asaph use the phrase in connection with following after the Lord’s “way”…his path…an expression of having sought God’s perspective to life issues and walking in obedience.  The result for them was an enlarged path and feet that did not stumble (as in “sin”).  Sure footedness, hind’s feet, are assured as I keep walking with Jesus, and following Him in quick obedience. 

This doesn’t help my clumsiness; hence the reason for working on balance with some yoga instruction; but it might help my spiritual clumsiness. 

So, I’ll now add to my spiritual pedicure, not just a readiness to go, but obedience in the going.