~ Day 24 ~
A beautiful story from my new friend, Kari, who told me about a woman who walks the walk… and a pair of shoes ~
Her feet were getting too big. It was really the shoes. The shoes were getting just a little bit too small. She squeezed those tiny feet into the even tinier shoes and loaded the baby into the car.
Too small shoes would have to give way to growing and hungry stomachs. They had to have food, you know. Can’t go very long without that.
There just hadn’t been enough lately. They were barely holding it together.
She had asked and asked Him for just a pair of shoes… and to help her hold it all together.
Winding through the aisles her eyes caught all the things they couldn’t have. She had to get just enough. Just enough to hold them over. Until the next time.
They would have to learn to stretch the few things in her cart to the limit.
She felt stretched to the end of her limit. And she couldn’t stop peeking at those tiny feet in the even tinier shoes.
Why does it all have to be so hard?
She kept asking Him for just one pair of shoes.
The toes broke through the front of her baby’s shoes and she couldn’t help but wonder,
Where are You?
Just one pair of shoes…
She reached the limit and headed for the line. Peering in her cart she hoped the food in front of her would last long enough. Again, those tiny feet… growing so fast.
Wouldn’t you know, there were shoes hanging next to the checkout.
She mused in frustration,
There just isn’t enough.
And, those tiny wriggling feet.
Stretched farther than she could bear, she placed her hands on the hanging shoes and threw them in the cart.
There has to be a way.
The cashier slid one beeping item after another as her bill grew and stretched.
There will just have to be enough.
She reached into her bag to retrieve all she could give.
Nothing.
No wallet.
Her heart sank as she realized she had left it at home.
Nothing.
Not one thing. A cart full. No money. And a pair of shoes.
I just needed the shoes.
Then.
Just when she thought no one saw her. Just when she thought He wasn’t listening anymore.
I’ve got this, dear. Let me pay for your groceries.
The voice came from behind her.
A woman. She could have been a grandmother.
She reached across and slid her card through before the young mother could respond.
Tears filled her eyes as she told the older woman,
I’ve been asking Him for a pair of shoes.
Only God.
Only God would reach us from behind through the heart of a stranger and fill our carts and our souls…
and even throw in a pair of shoes.
2 John 1:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Karin – a beautiful story! I’ve had two opportunities recently to pay for someone’s small grocery bill (one person couldn’t find his wallet, and another was desperately searching for enough money). On both occasions I offered – asked – if I could help them by paying. Neither allowed me to do so. I’m not sure why. Pride? Suspicion? I pray that the next time I’m given the opportunity that God will let them know that it’s ok to accept.
Blessings,
Kathy
Hi Kathy, how wonderful that you offered to pay for both of these people! You bring up a good point – pride too often gets in our way. It is difficult to accept help (even more so than giving help). I have to remind myself that the giver is just as blessed as the receiver ~ sometimes even more so. Blessings to you.