Ten toes. All breathing. Not constricted by socks or shoes. That’s how my feet like to live. Barefoot. At work, I am known to be without shoes except when it will freak people out. At my desk, those toes are free, breathing and happy.

When I have to wear shoes…I wait until the temperature dictates my toes will fall off without some warm assistance from boots…until then, I live in my Chaco sandals. No man could ever complain I spend a lot on shoes! I wear them…wash them in the washer, then wear them again looking brand new.

They are glorious. I love them. And this week I wore them in snow. Yep. I did the unthinkable…on accident. I flew into Salt Lake City to visit some college friends and their new kiddo…my newest buddy. We drove up Guardsmans Pass into Park City. And to my delight there was snow at the top of the pass! It was gorgeous! It was freedom!

Barefoot has a completely different connotation in the Bible. It was a sign of mourning, poverty or shame. God actually ordered Isaiah to go barefoot in Isaiah 20:1…

God told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Go, take off your clothes and sandals,” and Isaiah did it, going about naked and barefooted.

Isaiah did that for THREE years. Talk about a mission from God that makes you faithful. And before anyone comes back thinking, “That’s awesome! Barefoot 3 years!” It wouldn’t have been awesome for Isaiah. As a prophet he had probably already done what prophets did to set themselves apart by wearing rough clothing. Now God is ordering him to not only take off his clothes, but go barefoot too.

What catches my attention is that Isaiah looked different because of the mission and purpose God had given him. People made fun of him and called him a fool for doing it…but he looked different.

I certainly looked different with my Chacos on top of Guardsmans Pass in the snow. A hiker even commented on my bare toes, but in no way shape or form do I really look different based on my calling and mission from God.

The real question is…should we look different? Go ahead…discuss.