New Shoes

by Andrew Phillips

I've always been picky when it comes to shoes. It's no secret - I have big feet. They have been big for as long as I can remember. I've heard them referred to as boats, skis, and even clown shoes. One man told me that if so much of my height hadn't been turned down to make my feet so long, I would be over six feet tall. Because of the size of my feet, buying new shoes has always been difficult. Stores rarely carry a large selection of size 13's, and pairs of them on sale are scarce. Growing up, I drove my mother crazy; we would visit several shoe stores, some even two or three times, before I could make my selection.
But isn't it a good feeling to wear new shoes? Did you ever get a new pair of shoes before the first day of a new school year? How about before a big job interview? Doesn't it feel great? During his NBA career, Michael Jordan would wear a new pair of shoes before every game. He told reporters it was because he always wanted to have that "new shoes" feeling before he walked onto the court.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is found after the son's long journey through a sinful lifestyle, when he comes home into the waiting arms of his father. One of the first things his father does is call for a servant to bring new sandals for his son. ( Luke 15:22) Can you imagine where the son's old sandals had been? They had traveled with him to a distant country as he squandered his inheritance ( Luke 15:13). They had accompanied him as he strolled up to prostitutes in search of a good time ( Luke 15:30). They had stood in the farmer's fields as he fed pigs. But most importantly, they had walked with him back to his father's house, where the son would receive new sandals for a new beginning. His old sandals, caked with dirt from walking with wild friends and stained with mud from standing in front of pigs as they ate, were traded in for a new, clean pair. Where have your shoes been? Have they accompanied you this week to places you should never have gone? Were they present today as you said words you should never have said? Did they remain nearby last night as you watched images on a T.V. or computer screen you should never have watched?
More importantly, where are your shoes going? The prodigal's change of footwear is a vivid illustration of the gospel; no matter where your shoes may have taken you, God can give you a new pair to walk with Him. An old spiritual states "I got shoes, you got shoes; all God's children got shoes." We all do. It feels great to wear new shoes, and no matter what size your feet are or how picky you may be, God has a pair waiting on you � and they fit just right.

• The Chapter of Joy -Sep 10, 2006
• "Keep Your Feet" -Jan 26, 2003
• Do Your Part with Booth Feet -Oct 06, 2002