Women’s Day washing

Women’s Day is a public holiday here in Uganda. Schools are closed, everyone is off work and men are expected to do the cooking and housework. I was excited to have a day without my usual responsibilities at work and home. As I thought about what to do with my time two things came to mind. First, I wanted to visit with some of my neighbors. I used to do that so much more before COVID. It is one of the things I love here in Uganda. People in the village take time to sit and talk. I also wanted to paint my toe nails. I had a pedicure several months ago and it had grown out off of all my toe nails except my big toes. Since I wear sandals every day, I enjoy having my feet looking nice. It is just a small thing, but I thought that might be a nice thing to do on Women’s Day. As I considered this I wondered if it would work to combine the two things and do pedicures with my neighbors. 

I spoke with a few Ugandan friends who said that they thought the women would really enjoy a pedicure. So I got my supplies together and headed out to the gate to my neighbors’ house in the village. Since roads around here are either dusty or muddy, it is definitely necessary to wash your feet before painting your toenails. So I brought a bucket, soap cloths and a foot file along with nail clippers and polish. Dead and dry skin build up is very common for those of us who walk dusty roads either with sandals or bare feet. Since my neighbors have not had much experience giving themselves a pedicure, I offered to do it for them. 

The first thing I noticed was that they were apologizing about how dirty their feet were. I showed them that mine were just as dirty. But even still, two of the women went and washed their feet before coming to get their feet scrubbed and nails painted. It reminded me of the many ways I often try to clean myself up first instead of just accepting that I am washed by the work of Jesus on my behalf. 

When I was in college and worked as a server at a restaurant, I remember talking with a coworker and inviting him to church. He said he couldn’t come until he got his life together. I tried to explain that Christians are people who acknowledge that they can’t do life perfectly and know they need a Savior, so the church is not a bunch of people who have their lives together, but a bunch of people who recognize that they don’t and that they need a Savior. He never did come to church, and I think that was primarily out of shame. I wonder how many more people would feel free to come to church if we stopped pretending to be cleaned up and to have it all together and were willing to talk about our own failures and brokenness. Jesus said it this way:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke‬ ‭5:31-32‬) ‭

When I was scrubbing the dry skin off the feet of my neighbors, it seemed to help for me to talk about how much time someone else spent working on scrubbing the dry skin off of my feet. I wanted my friends to know that we are in the same boat. We are both people with dirty feet, cracked dry skin and calluses. And we are also all people who are equally in need of the spiritual washing that Jesus offers. 

After washing we enjoyed painting our toenails together. Their children LOVED seeing their moms with bright, shiny toenails. I am thankful for these amazing hardworking women who I have the privilege of calling my neighbors and my friends! And I am thankful that we all have a Savior, Jesus, who came to call sinful people like us and washes us, making us clean, beautiful and righteous in Him.