He Washed Their Feet

A Reflection by Larry Lundstrom | cllctv.org

Seven years ago, I made a decision that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

I had been serving in Kodiak Island, Alaska—a place so rugged and beautiful, it forces you to confront the depths of your own heart. The church we joined there wasn’t just a community; it was our family. We saw God move in lives, marriages, and Sunday gatherings, but more than anything, He was moving in me.

When the Lord began stirring my heart about transitioning from ministry in Kodiak, I didn’t know how to process it. I didn’t want to move on. It felt like giving up, like letting people down. But obedience isn’t always about what we want—sometimes it’s simply about letting go.

Before I left, I knew I couldn’t just slip away quietly. God placed something specific and deeply personal on my heart: wash their feet.

And so, through tears and trembling submission, I knelt before the elders and leaders who had labored with us. I filled the basin. I washed their feet.

It was one of the most humbling things I’ve ever done. Not because of the act itself, but because of what it revealed in me. My pride. My fear. My desire to still be in control. And yet, in that moment of surrender, I met the grace of Jesus in a way I never had before.

That simple act—washing feet—became the doorway to a seven-year journey I never could’ve mapped. And I thank God for every moment. The doors He’s opened. The people I’ve met. The creativity He’s stirred. The ministries He’s allowed me to serve alongside through CLLCTV. But none of it started with strategy. It started with submission.

Peter Was Me. Maybe He’s You Too.

This past week, I had the chance to teach on John 13:1–17, the passage where Jesus shocks everyone by washing the disciples’ feet. The title of the message was “Impulsive Disciple: Impulsive People Stay the Course.” And naturally, it focused on Peter—the Rock, the loudmouth, the one who spoke before he thought, who swung swords and then ran when it counted.

Peter’s first reaction when Jesus came to wash his feet? “You shall never wash my feet.”

That line hit me all over again. Because that’s me. That’s us.

We want to be used by Jesus, but we resist letting Him serve us. We want to lead, but we resist surrender. We think the Kingdom of God looks like strength and polish, but Jesus shows us it’s actually built on humility and brokenness.

Peter didn’t understand at first. Neither did I. Maybe you don’t yet either. But here’s the truth:
Redemption doesn’t start with achievement. It starts with surrender.

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From Foot Washing to Commissioning

Peter messed up more than most. But Jesus didn’t cancel him—He commissioned him. He said, “If I don’t wash you, you have no share with Me.” And then He gave him an example to follow.

That’s the road I’ve been walking—sometimes stumbling—these past seven years. Learning again and again that God doesn’t toss aside impulsive, flawed people. He disciples them. And in that discipleship, He prepares us for something greater than we can see from where we’re kneeling.

So if you feel like you’ve blown it… or maybe you’re just stuck, unsure what’s next—take a cue from Peter.

Let Him wash your feet.
Let Him teach you again.
Let Him commission you forward.

Because even impulsive people can stay the course—when they let Jesus interrupt, cleanse, and lead.