"How Beautiful Are the Feet"

“What is up with the feet?” asks my friend who is watching my slide show scroll past while we visit in the living room. “There’s been like six pictures of feet, and I think they are all Tim’s.”

My son loves to take pictures of his own feet. Anytime he is given the camera, he will inevitably snap a straight down photo of his feet. Usually just one, and then he takes other normal pictures of events, sculptures, flowers, etc. My boy is nine years old, but has done this since he first started using the camera. He’s at a great age to be in charge of “taking pictures” and it keeps him busy at family events. I know he will get carried away and in amongst all the great shots of his sister’s birthday party there will be the one token shot of his own feet. We have pictures of sandaled feet, bare feet, feet in the sand, and feet in boots.

It’s usually just one, sometimes two shots of his feet. I think it has become a habit. Camera in hand simply means “feet in frame”-- click. The feet in his latest pictures have grown noticeably bigger and I am certain he will tower over his “tall” mom someday in the near future. While I have deleted several of these “feet” shots through the years, I did choose to let some go. Just so we will always remember that Tim loved to take pictures of his own feet.

Recently, there were pictures of my husband’s graduation on the camera. A nice one of the family, a nice one of Sarah and Marcus walking, one of a total stranger pushing carts, uh-oh, here it comes…one of his own feet…yet again…at least he had dress shoes on for the occasion.

I am so glad my children are unique, with their own quirks, favorite knock -knock jokes, and yes, even a fascinating photographer of feet. Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you because I am beautifully and wonderfully made.” It’s all these little individual facets of my children that make me smile when other people mention them. If you ask my son why he takes pictures of his feet, he will simply shrug his shoulders and answer, “I don’t know; I just like to.”

God has given my young son many wonderful unique attributes that are uniquely his, and this penchant for foot photos is just one aspect of his individual personality. I am grateful to God that my Tim has chosen to be a Christ follower, and that he shares his faith in Jesus with others whom he meets. He recently told me his language tutor is a Christian.

“How do you know that, Tim?” I asked.

“Well, I asked if she truly believed Jesus died for her sins, and she said yes.” It’s simple when you are nine years old, and I am grateful for his boldness, his candor, and his faith. This facet of his personality lends new meaning to those many pictures of feet. It brings to mind the Bible verse I will end with, “How beautiful are the feet of them who bring good news.” Romans 10:15

So the next time someone asks me, "What is up with the feet?" I may just share about my son's beautiful feet.