Late at night and Maggie and I (we share a room) are winding down. Its a usual night where we read the bible to each other have some quick discussions then call it a night. But as Maggie lays there knitting away I jokingly say, “Maggie your shoes are so beat up, but you love them so much”, while glancing toward our closet where her shoes so nonchalantly sit. Now if you know our Maggie you know her attachment to a pair of Vans that have clearly been worn out by an ever so
optimistic owner. She chuckles a little and in so many
words tells me, well your pretty beat up too but God still loves you.
I laugh and we both agree how the conversation is clearly blog worthy as we shut the lights out. But while I am laying there I start to think, oh my goodness she is so right. I have put myself through so much turmoil and dirt, but God has never stopped loving me. Nor has he given up on optimistically using me to the full advantage I was created for. Much like Maggie’s shoes, they were created to use and she has grown to love them and she will do just that, use them for the sole (no pun intended) purpose they where created for.
So God has loved me even though I have clearly worn myself out and he will use me to serve his kingdom. Funny thing is I have never been loved and more appreciated by God then in the midst of all my trials. Think about it like this… you are stranded in a dark jungle, and on the jungle floor lies dirt, bugs, cold, sharp, jagged rocks, life treatining illness’ (not to mention you can’t see any of this because of the overwelming darkness) and so many other things that will bring upon pain to your feet. But you have your shoes on and although it can still be a little painfull it is much easier than being barefoot. As a dancer I know what it is like to have pain surging through my feet, but the joy of dancing, the ability to use my talent, and well the glory of it all is what gets me through to the very end where God himself can give me a standing ovation.
I don’t know if this makes any sense, but I am glad that although I drag myself along the dark jungle, I have Jesus nursing my wounds, loving me even though I am nearly covered in dirt, and lighting me a path to the mountain of the Lord with the vibrancy of his blood. I would say, the moral of the story is don’t take advantage of shoes no matter how old they are because other people don’t have shoes and walk barefoot everywhere. Even though that is true that is not the point of my story, and to be honest what this story means to me may be different than what it means to you. So take it however you must and to be silly if you see Maggie around (if you live here, of course) and those beat up Vans cover her little feet, say, “Nice Shoes”.
