The Condition of My Sole/Soul
As I've done before, I took a picture of my shoes tonight. My daughters wondered if I was going to try to sell them online. I'm actually thinking of making a display box for them to remind myself that shoes are no more good without an intact sole than I am without mine (intact soul, that is).
I noticed these shoes breaking down at the beginning of summer (the heel on the the right shoe had already begun to decompose), but I hit August and never seemed to have or take the time to buy a new pair once the hole developed.
To compensate, I spent more mental energy than I had making sure I didn't cross my legs with my foot up in the air, advertising the color of my socks that day. I was careful on rainy days (and we had several of them this summer) as to where I stepped, as I was vulnerable not just to the biggest of puddles, but to the dewiest of grass as well.
Having made the aforementioned adjustments, I thought I could just keep going, which I did...until the remains of the inner liner gave way and all that was left between my foot and the pavement was my sock, which didn't last more than a day during car line of the opening week of school. Concrete and cotton are not friends, and my foot paid the price for their dysfunctional relationship.
Two weeks ago, I finally went to the shoe store. I proudly announced to the staff there that I thought it was time I bought a new pair of dress shoes. I showed them the bottoms of my old shoes. They were amazed. They took pictures. They said they had never seen a pair of dress shoes that beat up. I beamed with pride even as my feet hurt. My sole-abuse was (or seemed) justified.
Just like my sole, my soul - the essence of who I am - has worn through some as a result of the past two-and-a-half years in Oklahoma. Sure, the shoe still fits and functions, but that doesn't mean I should keep wearing it as it is.
I took time this weekend to sort some of this out. I spent a lot of time thinking, writing, editing, praying, and resting. I consolidated a majority of my digital life and re-read and re-evaluated what - good and not so much - had brought me to this time and space. While my work and call are far from fulfilled (God asks for and is doing so much!), for the first time in a very long time, I caught a glimpse of a few adjustments I need to make so as to avoid burnout in fulfilling them. They won't be immediate and will be more of a months-long process than a weekend project, but I liked being able to identify the need and the difference. It felt good.
To be clear, I'm not even close to fizzling or frying; hardly. I still love God, my wife, my kids (biological and foster), what we're doing at The Academy of Classical Christian Studies and City Presbyterian, and with whom and why we're doing it. I'm also looking forward to heading to Merrimack, NH, this weekend as we start up the third leg of the Biblical Imagination conferences, which are always personally edifying.
The fact is that I'm encouraged most days, Oklahoma continues to grow on me, and we're paying our bills and eating. God has just shown me a few important things in the midst of all the good things, and I felt led to share them with you, ask you to pray, and encourage you to glean from my experiences what God might show you concerning yours.
No need to worry; no need to call.
It's just time to get some new shoes.