A Mile In Your Shoes

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When my husband, Ken, and I first settled down after three full years of traveling on the road in full-time ministry we soon found ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Our own home. We'd had a home...if you could call a tour bus, complete with a handful of other young, crazy people who loved Jesus and music always with us, a home! I am not complaining. We loved it...and planned to return to it...soon. And one thing led to another and before long we had jobs, rented and moved into a house, and found ourselves...in a new season.

We had already been together for three years and for the first time...coming home meant just the two of us. Suddenly, we had a different dynamic to our surroundings and it took some getting used to. Someone gave me advice that seemed a little strange at first but has become a cherished memory from those early days. The advice was this: when you are in prayer for your spouse - stand in his shoes. The first time just felt awkward. However, the awkwardness gave way to insight, understanding and connection.

I began to ask God in my prayer time to help me see the world through his eyes, to understand what he was thinking and feeling. Standing in his shoes and praying for him gave me an opportunity to lean into how God saw Ken. I considered Ken's story and how different things had impacted him over the years. And that...impacted my heart for him tremendously.

You know the old phrase never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Aside from the directive that the Bible tells us in Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." We still fight the temptation to judge others every day. What if we could stand in their shoes? What if instead of walking a mile in their shoes...we could stand in them...and pray for them? And ask God to help us see part of their story and help us to have His eyes of compassion for them.

Could I walk a mile in your shoes today? Would you walk a mile in mine? Standing in prayer for each other is a beautiful gift that God gives us to help connect us in this journey. It helps us judge less and love more. That's the measure that I want God to use with us!

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside
https://deniseharper.blog

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