A Walking Mis-Feet

My slippers on the left and the borrowed ones on the right.

My sister and I were invited to attend one of the weekly Ultimate Frisbee games of her office friends last weekend.  Some of them are players in one of  the competitive Ultimate teams in the city and were willing to train us or at least teach us the basics.

It was the first time for me to really be in a serious frisbee game.  I did flick some plastic plates when I was a child but never really joined the real thing.  Needless to say, I did not know what to expect.

So I dressed in my normal running attire and asked my sister to bring my change of clothes and towel in her bag.  I just brought my purse and cellphone and was ready to go.  Wrong move.

Ultimate was much much more than I expected.  A lot more fun, exhausting, fat-burning and competitive.  It rained so the field became muddy and slippery.  After 2 games, 2 drills, bruises and bloopers it was time to change. My feet were soaked with mud and rain but I did not have extra footwear to change into.  Gross images of my soggy feet leaving a muddy trail on the restaurant floor almost caused me to panic.

Thankfully, one of the players brought extra slippers and shoes.  He offered to lend me his slippers which I embarrassingly accepted.

Walking around with the over-sized slippers made me feel self-conscious and careful.  I was constantly on the lookout for someone who might stare at the slippers more than 3 times my size and make fun of me.  I also could not walk as fast as I wanted to because I had to carefully space my steps so that I don't step on the protruding rubber and fall over.  My mortification increased when we left the field and entered a shopping mall and later, the Central Business District.  I prayed that I would not run into someone I know.

Wearing those slippers reminded me of how we sometimes do or become things we were not made to be. God has designed us with our own S.H.A.P.E.  Each of us is given a unique set of Spiritual Gifts, Heart and Passion, Abilities, Personality and Experience.  We were designed for a specific purpose that's why we were given the SHAPE that we have.

But some of us live unaware of what our SHAPE is.  So we go about doing things that often leave us unfulfilled, frustrated and confused about our own significance. We get by, but we are not as effective and at peace as we could be when we our doing what we were meant to. Just like wearing over-sized slippers, we can still walk but not as freely and as relaxed as when we are wearing our size.

I used to struggle with wanting to be someone else.  But I thank God that He designed me the way He did. Knowing my SHAPE allowed me to appreciate my strengths and appreciate others whose strengths are my weaknesses. It also takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders.