“Don’t stomp so much!” Well, with 200 lbs coming down on a size 9 1/2 wide, usually at a moderately brisk pace, it’s a little tough to step lightly. The worst is hard heels on a wooden floor  – it takes all I have to not run for the carpeting because the sound is so loud and sharp.

There’s another way to stomp – one idiom refers to “throwing one’s weight around”, and I’ve been told I seem to do this.  Like my firm footsteps on a wooden floor, the reality is that my confidence shows through in a variety of areas.  This of course begs the question, where is the line between confidence and meekness?  Is there an example to look to??

Of course there is – if you know me, you know the answer to the question already.  Jesus had immense reason for confidence, and at the same time, He was labeled “meek and mild”.  He was also accused by the leaders of the day of being a troublemaker.  These are the same people He referred to as whitewashed tombs and a brood of vipers – not very gentle phrases, in any  culture.   Yet, this very direct man enjoyed the affection of children and the respect of people otherwise hardened by their outcast positions in society.

It’s a question of foundations – not so much whether the floor is hardwood or carpet, but whether one can expect it will hold up.  I’ve worked on ‘floating’ floors – they’re heavy tiles laid on a metal frame about 2-3 feet above the concrete base.  They’re most often found in computer rooms, where the tons and yards of cables for power and intercommunication are hidden away and accessed rarely.  One may walk confidently on such a floor, but usually gently with a heightened attention to anomalies.  You don’t want to fall through one of those babies, it could make for a very bad day.

I used to live as though I was walking on such a floor, with a weak frame that couldn’t be trusted, testing every step lest I unexpectedly come to great pain, if not irreparable harm.  It can be nerve-wracking, to say the least.  My confidence has grown of late, and I know where my foundation is – it is in Christ, the Rock which will never be moved.  I know He walks with me, as promised, and I’ve seen Him work on my behalf, both in immediately dangerous situations and in long-term issues that required more planning and setup.  I could see that whatever I encounter, He has already planned for, and I can step confidently.

This brings us back to the response of others – I’m advised not to stomp, and I usually meet that with the same puzzlement that I give in the physical sense – I’m just walking, briskly, because there’s a place to be and a task to do.  It finally struck me the other day, others may be suffering from the same timidity that I used to bear, seeing their floors as unstable or fragile, concerned that too heavy of a footstep might cause it to crumble under them, resulting in pain.

The task is not to get into arguments about how to traverse a room, but to give witness to the foundation that can be trusted to never cave in, erode, or shift.   Those who are looking for a solid place to put their feet will give thanks for my confident step. Those who prefer self-made foundations will continue to accuse me of being destructive.

They said the same of Jesus, so I’m in good company.