Black Shoes for Valentine's Day

by Joey Davis

"Folks are kinda' funny", Will Rogers once said. I agree!
Recently I was asked to go shopping with a friend to buy a gift for Valentine's Day. As everyone knows, Valentine's Day is a day when lovers celebrate their affection for one another. This man was very enthusiastic about buying just the right gift for his sweetheart. He had a very specific gift in mind. It was...well...it was...(I don't know in should mention this)...it was a nighie!
He knew his wife's tastes in such matters, a modest woman who desired to be alluring but not indecent, and was prepared to honor her wishes. However, after searching through department store after department store, he bought nothing. After going through the last store, he shared with me his problem. He was embarrassed. He couldn't look a cashier in the eye while buying undergarments for his wife. I understood his predicament.
The sad part of this story is that he bought his wife a pair of black, lace-up, flat soled shoes, instead. Mind you, sensible shoes have their place in a society, but between married sweethearts, so do nighties. Especially on Valentines Day. When he paid for the shoes, the thought kept rushing through my head, "Nothing says 'I Love You' like... black shoes?!?"
In essence, what my friend did was wimp out. He knew that he needed to express himself through this gift, but not at the expense of his comfort. Being comfortable was too important to him and nothing is more comfortable and less eyebrow raising than sensible shoes. Practicality is good, but there is a time for extravagance... .
Too often, we Christians imitate my friend. When we should be expressing our love, appreciation, and unbridled joy, we settle for being comfortable. God has set parameters for our worship, just like my friend's wife's parameters concerning a gift. May we never conceal our joy and gratitude for a Mighty King by adding to those parameters things God never intended.
In Gatlinburg I saw our Teens worship and praise God. For some of them it was the first time they had ever done it with their whole heart. Their passion for the Savior flowed uninhibited making our worship uncomfortably extravagant.
I want to thank those same Teens for reminding me that the cross was not just the fulfillment of prophecy but an emotional and uncomfortable scene. It shook me out of my "black shoes".

February 27, 1994

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Black Shoes for Valentine's Day by Joey Davis "Folks are kinda' funny", Will Rogers once said. I agree! Recently I was asked to go shopping with a friend to buy a gift for Valentine's Day. As everyone knows, Valentine's Day is a day when lovers celebrate their affection for one another. This man was very enthusiastic about buying just the right gift for his sweetheart. He had a very specific gift in mind. It was...well...it was...(I don't know in should mention this)...it was a nighie! He knew his wife's tastes in such matters, a modest woman who desired to be alluring but not indecent, and was prepared to honor her wishes. However, after searching through department store after department store, he bought nothing. After going through the last store, he shared with me his problem. He was embarrassed. He couldn't look a cashier in the eye while buying undergarments for his wife. I understood his predicament. The sad part of this story is that he bought his wife a pair of black, lace-up, flat soled shoes, instead. Mind you, sensible shoes have their place in a society, but between married sweethearts, so do nighties. Especially on Valentines Day. When he paid for the shoes, the thought kept rushing through my head, "Nothing says 'I Love You' like... black shoes?!?" In essence, what my friend did was wimp out. He knew that he needed to express himself through this gift, but not at the expense of his comfort. Being comfortable was too important to him and nothing is more comfortable and less eyebrow raising than sensible shoes. Practicality is good, but there is a time for extravagance... . Too often, we Christians imitate my friend. When we should be expressing our love, appreciation, and unbridled joy, we settle for being comfortable. God has set parameters for our worship, just like my friend's wife's parameters concerning a gift. May we never conceal our joy and gratitude for a Mighty King by adding to those parameters things God never intended. In Gatlinburg I saw our Teens worship and praise God. For some of them it was the first time they had ever done it with their whole heart. Their passion for the Savior flowed uninhibited making our worship uncomfortably extravagant. I want to thank those same Teens for reminding me that the cross was not just the fulfillment of prophecy but an emotional and uncomfortable scene. It shook me out of my "black shoes". February 27, 1994 Related Articles: Print this Article Discuss this Article Back to the Sermon Page	Mt. Juliet Church of Christ 1940 N. Mt. Juliet Road P.O.Box 248 Mt.Juliet, TN 37122-0248 (615)758-2274 Fax:615-754-2351 Email Worship Services: Sunday Early Worship: 8AM Sunday Bible Study: 9:15AM Sunday Late Worship: 10:15AM Night Worship: 6PM Wednesday Bible Study: 7PM