A Humbling Feet
Yes, I know I spelt “feet” incorrectly. But it’s the best way to sum up an experience I had this past Tuesday night while playing our weekly basketball game.
My good friend Rich and I were on our way from a meeting at Immaculate Conception Parish in Delta to St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Richmond when I returned my friend Mike’s call. Mike, my beloved next door neighbour and Strata Complex Bodyguard, had tried to call me 3 times during the meeting, but being the focussed person I am, I simply pressed the “reject” button on my cell phone. He got the hint by the 3rd call and left me a voicemail.
“Clay,” he said. “Are you going to basketball?”
“Yeah, we’re on our way now. Why?”
“I need you to tape up my ankle!”
“Do it yourself!” I replied.
“I can’t,” Mike said, “I need someone else to do it.”
“We’re half an hour away,” I replied, “Get someone else unless you want to wait.”
We ended up getting there in 20 minutes (I guess I was excited to get my only form of weekly exercise in…chasing Sean and Jake around the house doesn’t really count) and after I changed into my gear, I noticed that Mike had his ankle taped already. Breathing a sigh of relief, I asked him who did it for him. He said that he taped it himself, because he had asked 2 other people, and they both said no, citing the “I don’t know how” reason (though Mike would have walked them through it).
As Mike was running on it, he lamented that he had done a poor job. Another player happened to hear this, and commented that he had an extra roll of athletic tape. I knew what was coming next.
“Hey Clay, can you re-do the ankle?”
My mind raced through the options. Do I tell him not to waste more tape? Do I tell him that his initial attempt was fine? Do I tell him that I don’t want to smell his feet? Then, it hit me. John 13: Jesus washing the Disciples’ feet. And in the scripture Jesus says “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” Recalling that fact that 2 people had already said no, I told Mike “Sure.”
We sat down on the bench while the rest of the guys started a game. Mike undid his first wrap and then proceeded to teach me how to wrap his ankle and foot properly. Start here, wrap there, figure 8 here, rip there. It wasn’t the most pleasant sight or smell (but whose feet do smell or look nice after 14 hours on them???) and we were done in about 2 minutes. The entire time, I was thinking of Jesus and the point of serving others being at the heart of following Christ.
After an intense 90 minute workout, we headed home. I saw Mike the next night and he told me that he wouldn’t be playing ball for a while; the ankle had gotten worse overnight and currently can’t withstand the pounding (I hope it wasn’t the tape job).
I told him that that was unfortunate news…but he’s welcome to re-join us anytime, and I that I would help him tape up his ankle if necessary. The taping situation wasn’t as bad or as sticky as I thought it would be.
My good friend Rich and I were on our way from a meeting at Immaculate Conception Parish in Delta to St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Richmond when I returned my friend Mike’s call. Mike, my beloved next door neighbour and Strata Complex Bodyguard, had tried to call me 3 times during the meeting, but being the focussed person I am, I simply pressed the “reject” button on my cell phone. He got the hint by the 3rd call and left me a voicemail.
“Clay,” he said. “Are you going to basketball?”
“Yeah, we’re on our way now. Why?”
“I need you to tape up my ankle!”
“Do it yourself!” I replied.
“I can’t,” Mike said, “I need someone else to do it.”
“We’re half an hour away,” I replied, “Get someone else unless you want to wait.”
We ended up getting there in 20 minutes (I guess I was excited to get my only form of weekly exercise in…chasing Sean and Jake around the house doesn’t really count) and after I changed into my gear, I noticed that Mike had his ankle taped already. Breathing a sigh of relief, I asked him who did it for him. He said that he taped it himself, because he had asked 2 other people, and they both said no, citing the “I don’t know how” reason (though Mike would have walked them through it).
As Mike was running on it, he lamented that he had done a poor job. Another player happened to hear this, and commented that he had an extra roll of athletic tape. I knew what was coming next.
“Hey Clay, can you re-do the ankle?”
My mind raced through the options. Do I tell him not to waste more tape? Do I tell him that his initial attempt was fine? Do I tell him that I don’t want to smell his feet? Then, it hit me. John 13: Jesus washing the Disciples’ feet. And in the scripture Jesus says “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” Recalling that fact that 2 people had already said no, I told Mike “Sure.”
We sat down on the bench while the rest of the guys started a game. Mike undid his first wrap and then proceeded to teach me how to wrap his ankle and foot properly. Start here, wrap there, figure 8 here, rip there. It wasn’t the most pleasant sight or smell (but whose feet do smell or look nice after 14 hours on them???) and we were done in about 2 minutes. The entire time, I was thinking of Jesus and the point of serving others being at the heart of following Christ.
After an intense 90 minute workout, we headed home. I saw Mike the next night and he told me that he wouldn’t be playing ball for a while; the ankle had gotten worse overnight and currently can’t withstand the pounding (I hope it wasn’t the tape job).
I told him that that was unfortunate news…but he’s welcome to re-join us anytime, and I that I would help him tape up his ankle if necessary. The taping situation wasn’t as bad or as sticky as I thought it would be.
posted by Clay at 4:52 PM
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