Shoes

I was thinking about shoes the other day.  I love shoes!! No, I mean I really love shoes!!  I can rationalize it a bunch of different ways.  As a Pastor and the wife of a pastor I ‘need’ dress shoes.    Depending on the kind of outfit I may ‘need’  many different kinds of dress shoes.   I ‘need’ walking shoes so that I can keep up with the ladies on outings, I ‘need’ slip on shoes that I can easily take off when playing the piano and I ‘need’ all of these kinds in blue, brown, black and white  and various other shades  — I could go on but I think you get the picture??

I didn’t say it was rational – but really, are any of our excuses for why we do what we do rational?  More than not they are a way of allowing us to continue in whatever it is we are doing or not doing.  The fact that we feel compelled to make an excuse should tell us something.

(sigh) Getting off my ‘excuse’ soap box now.

Just what it is about shoes; I don’t know.  I’ve heard of comfort food but comfort shoes??? hmmm, maybe??

Well, I have more shoes than any sane person should have.  I won’t even tell you how many.  Partially because I would have to count them and I’m not ready for that much living in the truth, 🙂  And  I would be way too embarrassed to have the true count public.

This addiction goes back to my high school days.  When Curt and I got married, he found out just how many shoes I owned at that time.  I can still see him carrying in a box labeled shoes, then another box, by the third box he was giving me the “eye”.  So we counted them and at that time I had over 100.  Believe it or not I still have some of those shoes.  I just threw away a pair of sandals from high school on this last camping trip.  It was so muddy that they pulled apart.  😦

I should mention that I almost never pay full price for shoes.  In fact, most of the time I get them 80 or even 90 % off.  I would tell Curt that obviously God was blessing my shopping – how could I not get them??  (wink, wink) To which he would roll his eyes and as long as I used my allowance he didn’t mind.  (yes, I am over 40 working 2 jobs and have an allowance – but that is another blog — truth is I love that we are on a budget!!)

So lately I’ve been thinking more about my shoes.  Just how many pairs does one person need??  I do think that it has gotten out of hand.  (I can just see my husband doing a “happy dance” and shouting “finally!”)

So as with anything, I took it to God.   Secretly I was hoping that He would remove this feeling I was getting and give me back my peace concerning my shoes.  After all I love shoes.

Instead this is what I got.  The next time I buy shoes (Yes, I can still buy shoes) I must give away a pair (not throw away a pair).  But that wasn’t all.  I also will donate $5.00 to missions.  I tried to bargain with God – you’d think by now I would just know that doesn’t work.  But a lot of my shoes didn’t even cost $5.00.  Now I surely felt that I had the choice to accept or not accept.  God would still love me,  but if I wanted to live in the truth and I wanted to grow more and more like Him then it was time to bring this into balance.   I am sure that it will be much easier to talk about this then to actually live it, but I know with God’s help nothing is impossible.

There you have it.  Any of you that shop with me can feel free to remind me of this – but please be gentle.  😛

til next time