If Your High Heel Gets Caught in a Vent...

Photography by Joshua 'Tito' Wilson (2009)

I have something to confess. I'm a shoe lover. This photo was taken during my Senior year of college.
 I wanted to capture my love for red heels. 
Inspiring, I know.
 I have always loved high heels because they are classy, make my legs look longer, and all of the other totally not-vain reasons women wear high heels. 

Pretty close to a year ago I broke my foot. I was eight months pregnant, and while dealing with an out of control foster daughter I twisted my foot and fractured a small bone. I spent my last month of pregnancy hobbling around on crutches, and gave birth wearing a boot.

 I don't wear high heels much anymore because that foot still bothers me. It aches on and off, but there are times vanity gets the best of me and I put those suckers on. So this September in celebration of my broken-foot anniversary I decided to wear my black, open-toed heels to church. Very spiritual I know. 


This particular Sunday I need to use the bathroom during communion time. As I return to my pew, walking up the side aisle, suddenly my heel catches on something. It's the air vent. 'I'll simply lift my shoe off of it and be on my merry way,' I think to myself. But no. Oh no. Of course it couldn't be that simple. I am horrified to see the entire vent lift up with my shoe meanwhile communion servers are standing on either side of me serving communion. I realize my only option is to remove the shoe. I shake my foot out of the high heel and stare at it, stuck to the vent. I am now half-shoed and feeling very ridiculous. A communion server standing near me, watching the whole thing take place, bends over, pulls the heel out, and hands it to me with a huge grin on his face. 


Have you ever been caught in sin? It's kind of like one's high heel getting caught in a vent during communion time. You hope that no one will notice as you try to shake your foot free from it. You pray that it's enough you've confessed to God. Surely He doesn't expect you to reveal your struggle to anyone else? It would be humiliating! Yet you keep returning to that sin, that favorite idol which controls you. Maybe it hasn't turned to sin just yet, but the tempting thoughts continue to swirl in your mind. You're on the edge. 

You feel alone.

Isolation is one of the biggest dangers to believers. Satan wants us to believe we have to keep up a picture-perfect image if we are "church-goers." The problem is that the longer we hold onto sin and try to deal with it alone, the longer our foot stays caught in the vent. If you are in ministry you may feel this pressure stronger than anyone else. You cannot fail. You must be a pillar of righteousness for everyone around you to admire. WRONG. 

 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." ~James 5:16


It is not accurate to think that we must only confess our sins to God. James tells us that we should confess our sins to one another and pray for each other SO THAT we may be healed. There is freedom in letting someone know that you are not perfect. Should you announce to the whole church all of your sins? Probably not. But find someone you can trust and share your burdens with. The power of confession comes when one chooses to love you anyway. That person is a real life display of God's unconditional love. 

During my Junior year of college I was struggling with a particular sin in my life. I felt I could not tell anyone. I felt so shameful. Finally, after months of not being able to kick it, I was desperate. I asked another girl I greatly admired if we could go out to lunch and talk. I shared with her my struggle over a plate of appetizers. Her eyes widened as she said, "Becky, I am struggling with the same thing." We became accountability partners and began to pray for each other. Both of us were freed from this sin because we put down our pride and asked for help. It was embarrassing. I wasn't able to hold on to my 'image' any longer. It was freeing. No longer could I take credit for my own righteousness. I could only praise God for His forgiveness and unconditional love.


My high heel was caught in a vent, but someone leaned over to help me pull it out. 

APPLICATION:

1. Are you caught in sin? Who will you share your burden with today? 
2. Have you been struggling with temptation? Find someone you can be transparent with and ask them to pray.

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. ~Romans 6:11-15

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