Muddy Boots

“How often do you really look at a man’s shoes?”
​-Shawshank Redemption, 1994.

I don’t know why this quote sticks in my head. Perhaps it’s the number of times my husband has quoted it in his best Morgan Freeman voice. But one particular Tuesday morning I snapped this quick picture. It’s not composed well and was taken quickly so as to not arouse questions from the wearers of the boots. I thought of this quote and how much you can actually tell by a person’s shoes.

Almost every Tuesday morning I have the priviledge of gathering with the leaders of my church. As the admin assistant, I take notes and interject my opinions and Americaness as often as I think they will tolerate. I feel a little like a square peg in a round hole sometimes. These three Irishmen talk of tractors, building materials, and sometimes even politics. I nod my head and check my email until there’s something of note to record. I had a laugh today as I recalled the years I had dreams at night about being back in Ireland. None of them included shop talk and discussions about construction, and buildings, and “hookers” that are apparently a kind of fishing boat.
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One particular Tuesday I noticed their shoes. What was it that struck me? Their shoes show their character. No pretense, no show. They are leaders who wear the shoes to get the work done. They might go from laying flooring and fitting doors, to meeting a person in crisis and taking the time to listen and lend a hand. They run from leadership meetings, to work, to planned and unplanned ministry moments, to homes with families and needs of their own. I realized looking at their shoes that day that I want to follow leaders whose boots are muddy. 

Follow the leaders who wear muddy boots

Muddy boots mean they walk where it’s dirty. They are spending time where the work needs to be done. Rain or shine (more rain than shine this year), these men are out working— sometimes in a professional capacity, sometimes in a ministerial one. But you would be hard pressed to find the line between those two things. Ministry is work, and work is ministry.  Doing what needs to be done. It’s a lifestyle, not a job-description.
    If we profess to be followers of Jesus, are we willing to get our feet dirty? Jesus even took the time to wash his disciple’s feet as his very last act before being betrayed, arrested, and killed. Why? Because as they walked the roads with him, the disciples’ feet got covered in dirt, dung, and no telling what else. For them, ministry was not confined to the clean floors of white-washed chapels. 
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Dusty roads with Jesus

Walking the roads of ministry with Jesus looks like walking into the mess of struggling marriages, heart-broken parents, and lives with less-than-stellar records. It’s hospital wards, counselling sessions, and late nights. Sometimes it's scrubbing chairs and vaccuming astroturf in a giant marquee. But this is life. Not just “this is how life is.” This is where we find life. 
    Jesus said, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25, ESV). When we walk the road of ministry with Jesus, we lay down the comforts of clean and tidy. Ministry is hands-on practical work. Sometimes it is facing ugly, uncomfortable moments with people, yet there’s nothing more life-giving than bringing the beauty of Jesus to the ugliest of moments. 
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Family is in it together 

We are coming up on two years here. In that time we have built relationships with people who have trusted us with some messy moments in their lives, as we have trusted them with ours. It’s a commmunity of like-minded boot-wearers here. We are in the life-style of ministry. Many days it is just going about our daily lives, getting work done. Sometimes the day is intersected with moments of connection and ministry. Either way, it’s because the path has been forged by those who have, and continue to go, first with their work boots on. We are building a family of believers ready to lace up and get dirty. It’s an honor and joy to be part of this family.

However, work boots aren’t required every day. Sometimes we need dancing shoes to rejoice with those who rejoice, walking shoes for going the distance with people, or my favorite: fuzzy slippers for the more personal and quiet moments. Whatever the occasion requires, Ephesians 6:15 instructs us to arm ourselves with “the shoes of the gospel of peace." Shoes that are ready to bring the message of the gospel and the power of the Kingdom throughout our day.

​Finally, pray for your leaders, the trailblazers and trench-diggers, who wear the muddy boots of ministry. Join them in the work, come along-side with whatever shoes God has equipped you with.

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Keeping our feet on the road

Did you know that our financial support is not just so we don't have to "work"? We are required by government to maintain a minimum level of support in order to keep our visa legal. This financial support ensures that we are allowed to stay in the country and keep our feet on the road of ministry. The work we do here discipling, serving, building, cleaning, teaching, leading worship, praying, and administratively supporting only happens because of Kingdom-minded people who join the mission with us financially. We invite you to consider sowing into our "muddy boot fund" to keep our work here going. In addition to our monthly expenses, by June of next year we will be renewing our visa for another 3 years. Not only is the minimum income requirement raising to £38,000 per year (up from £24,000), but we will also need approxamitely $20,000 for our visa renewal.  You can partner with us in individual gifts or monthly partnerships here. Every gift is a seed sown into the Kingdom! 

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