Through a Mother's Eyes

Our Founder, Elisabeth Jordan shares her experience of serving with her two young girls at our Feet on the Street event.

We held our feet washing event last Saturday, affectionately called “Feet on the Street.” It’s one of the first events we ever held after reading Jesus’s words in John 13 in a street-side Bible study: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” Friends gather, housed and unhoused, old and young, to receive and give the gift of feet washing. We’ve been holding these gatherings for nine years, reading again from John 13 before we turn to water and feet, but for me, this one was extra special…

As I held my girls—ages five and two—in my lap, we’d watch a person take their seat; they were seated up a little higher than us so we could easily reach their feet. A high-school student would bring fresh water, and we’d guide one foot at a time into it.

“Cold!” those getting their feet washed would exclaim.

“We’ll warm up your feet in just a minute,” I’d reply.

We’d get the soap in our hands and take one foot to wash.

…you should do as I have done for you.

When the little hands entered the water next to mine, it didn’t matter what beautiful human sat in front of us—old or young, male or female, able bodied or disabled. Tears would often begin to roll down their face… “They’re washing my feet, too? I didn’t expect…” Tears kept coming, and mine followed.

After the person’s feet were cleaned, we got out a fresh cloth to dry them. Then we got lotion and massaged their feet. My girls squealed with delight.

We’d ask whoever was before us, “How can we pray for you?” They’d tell us some of their story, what was on their heart, how we could pray, and then we’d pray as we rubbed.

After we finished and wiped off the extra lotion, we’d pull out a new pair of socks. Most of the time, the person in front of us needed help to get them on and little hands would once again come alongside mine to help. We’d help the person down off the tall chair and point them in the direction of the new shoes station. Once there, they’d choose and try on a brand-new pair. We know there’s a lot of walking if you’re living outside or in a shelter, and shoes get worn out quickly, no longer offering good support. Our friends at Luke’s Locker know this too, so they gift us shoes to be passed out as part of this event. They don’t give us used shoes; every shoe is pristine—brand new.

God loves us like this. Extravagantly. 

And our children? They minister the Kingdom, too. They love without judgment. They haven’t learned our fears. They don’t hold agendas. They know only the person and moment right in front of them. We have something to learn from them.

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He came to Simon Peter who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part of me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.” 

Wash us, Lord Jesus.