i got off the plane last week after my three week stint in asia and went directly to mosaic's 7 p.m. gathering downtown. i of course tried to look as cute as possible since i hadn't seen vince for so long and was actually quite impressed with how well my outfit held up after the 11 hour plane ride.

i bought my shirt in india, was adorned with my latest jewelry finds and carried a handy little bag i bartered for in beijing. and my shoes ... the shoes that had been with me every day of my journey through india and now safely on my feet again.

the only seats available at the mayan were in the front row, so vince and i made i way and plopped down next to each other excited to be back in the same country together. at one point in the service he looked at my feet and said, "i like your shoes. they're cute." i smiled at him and thought to myself, "of course they're cute! who do you think i am!"

towards the end of the service erwin came out to say a few things ... with no shoes. he began to talk about a vision he had that our community would be one of sacrificial giving ... one that embraced humanity and met their basic needs. he said ... wouldn't it be great if the movement began with all of us leaving this place and walking around downtown barefooted? for a movement of love to be traced back to a day when hundreds of people dared to step into a city without their shoes in order to serve the needs of their neighbors.

i'm confused.

maybe it was the jet lag ... maybe my ears hadn't popped all the way from the plane. did he just ask us to give up our shoes?

one by one, people dropped their shoes on the steps where i was resting my feet.


well crap. i'm in the front row AND i serve in leadership there ... it's going to be WAY obvious if i don't participate.

but i knew it was bigger than that. i knew that this was only the beginning of a movement that would impact the city of los angeles. i knew that someone else would feel the power of the nations through the shoes i had just walked around the world in.

how great that we were all called to make a difference that day. that we were given the opportunity to make an impact on those around us without making a sound.

i realized, in that moment, that reconnecting with my soul meant getting rid of the soles i had.