By 
Early in the morning, long before the day breaks (3:30am), with coffee in one hand and Bible in the other I am ready for my morning conversation with my heavenly Father. I'm settled in my prayer chair, beginning to read Joshua 5 and Robert J. Morgan's tiny little book, The Jordan River Rules—packed with unique insights enough to fill my Webster's 1828 Dictionary.
I prayed, "Lord, speak to me this morning; I really need enough of You to just stand up today."
The verses in Joshua 5 began to speak to me faster than I could write. I stopped long enough to read the short chapter in the tiny little power-packed book of Morgan’s: RULE #9, "YOU’RE NOT IN CHARGE, BUT REMEMBER WHO IS". And tears began to flow.
The morning weather set the stage for this soul-searching moment. My spirit was hurting and tears ran down my face. The coffee set aside, I slid out of my slippers. Now that I've described the scene, let me share my heart while barefoot.
When I get inside my house after a long day at work, the first thing I do is slip out of my shoes, even before I get to my closet. But what you don't know is that shoes coming off is a body reaction I have when I'm tired, frustrated, or afraid. When I take my shoes off at home, I'm at home, safe and ready to rest. But there have been times when my shoes came off because I was afraid. Let me share my "Barefoot" stories before sharing my "Blessed" story.
I rode a Ferris wheel near Lake Pontchartrain in the New Orleans area in my late teens. I can't imagine how I consented to get on such a ride, as I am not comfortable with heights that almost touch the clouds. I was so afraid that I dropped one shoe in the lake.
That's not the end of my shoe stories. During a night flight a storm began to rage. Items stored in the overhead bins were falling and I slipped out of a shoe. At landing time I disembarked the aircraft with one shoe on (later it was returned to me).
I understand the label "barefoot". But my husband, Lee Coffey, didn't know I had "barefoot" stories to tell when he excitedly took me to Mount San Jacinto Tram for an evening of seeing the “blooming desert” in Palm Springs from the mountain peak. This tram ride went from 800' to 5000' in fifteen minutes.
Now I haven't told you that Lee was a perfect guide for this woman from a lower view of the earth, the Magnolia State and Dallas. While Mr. Coffey was pointing out the beauty below, he turned to tell me a story about the mountain and I wasn't standing beside him. I was on the floor of the tram, head bowed and shoes off, the perfect posture for prayer—an encounter with God—except I was speaking to God for safety.
Joshua 5 tells us that God told Joshua to take off his shoes: “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”And Joshua did that (Joshua 5:15, CSB). Why? He was standing on Holy Ground.
Quoting from The Jordan River Rules, p.93: “By taking off his shoes, Joshua was actually touching ground supremely holy with nothing to get in the way of the experience. The ground within a certain circumference of our Lord’s physical presence became radioactive with righteousness and cauterized with holiness. Those grains of sand (between Joshua's toes) became as holy as the soil of heaven itself, as pure as the golden streets of New Jerusalem."
Lesson for us: Experience Life Barefoot. Experience the Sacredness of Holy Ground.
Women, let me encourage you to step out of your shoes—the shoes that may be your most comfortable ones. When our struggles and labels have tagged us, our efforts in and through life are mounting up and road blocking us, and the ground we are standing on seems to be the same as yesterday, could we be standing on Holy Ground?
The Bible tells us in Psalm 147:3 (CSB), The LORD heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. This promise is echoed again in Isaiah 61:1-3.
Please, let me insert a personal, recent happening. It is a workday. I'm hurrying to get a shower, dress, and be out the door; however, in the process of shaving my legs I nicked a blood vessel and blood began, not to ooze out slowly, but rather shoot out across the shower, filling the shower floor with blood.
I'm yelling at the top of my voice for my hubby to come. He is in the shower and doesn't hear. I wrap a towel tightly around my ankle until I can get to the Band-Aids that were too little. I did the next thing that came to my mind, after calling out to Jesus. I called a co-worker who was/is a Paramedic. When he answered I had a tourniquet around my ankle, and he yelled: “Take the tourniquet off; you could lose your foot!”
Great news! Added sorrow! How did I know that I was cutting off the blood supply that was probably replacing the lost blood? (My medical knowledge is limited.)
Why would I tell you this story in the middle of this great lesson on getting BAREFOOT for JESUS? Remember girlfriends: sometimes we are cutting off the circulation, even limiting the lessons God wants us to learn from His Word.
Quiet! Did you hear the Lord of Hosts telling you to take off your shoes (change your way of stepping) because you are standing on Holy Ground?
The "WHAT IFs" of life are constantly hovering over me. What if I let go of my anxiety and let God fill in the blanks ________ whatever that is. What If?
The biblical account of this excellent military assignment in Joshua applies to us today. We have obstacles to conquer, walls that need to come down that have separated us and isolated us long enough.
How long will we bleed unnecessarily, trying to pull off the applied labels, trying so hard to stop our hurting with the wrong Band-Aids (solutions), when all we need to do is listen, fall on our face as Joshua did, and worship?! Yes, WORSHIP. "What does My Lord want to say?"
“Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”And Joshua did that (Joshua 5:15, CSB).
In this passage, the shoe represents theflesh, symbolizing the earthly in contrast with the Holy. Taking off one's shoes was and still is a sign of reverence, humility, and respect. What if we are standing on Holy Ground? What if?
So, as a southern girl Mama used to say to me: “If you answer the door barefoot, that means you are comfortable and you want your guests to feel the same way.” Come on in! Let's take off our shoes and Shout for Joy!
Sheryl Coffey
Sheryl Coffey is President/CEO of a nonprofit organization known as RAC-G. Sheryl’s education is in Christian Education, She has published her story in a book ‘A Lingering Fragrance”. She has founded ‘The Fragrant Hours Ministry” after the death of her only child. Sheryl displays her perfume bottle collection to illustrate the message from II Corinthians 2:14-16. She is married to Lee Coffey. Has lived in Tyler almost 20 years. Member of GABC. Bible Teacher at Christian Women’s Job Corp. 
