The two-week pile of shoes (before church)

I can hear my friends and I singing loudly in “junior church” as though it were only last week—instead of many years ago now: “Do you know, O Christian, you’re a sermon in shoes? Do you know, O Christian, you’re a sermon in shoes? Jesus counts upon you to spread the Gospel news, so walk it and talk it—a sermon in shoes!”

Today, my church concluded our annual “Soles for Jesus” shoe drive. (Read more about “Soles for Jesus” here.) It was overwhelming and also humbling to look at this giant pile of shoes and realize all that it represents. Thousands of pairs of shoes will be given away in Africa as a means of spreading the Gospel and sharing the love of Christ to those who need not just a pair of shoes but, more importantly, the salvation God offers to them!

But as I looked at this growing pile over the last few weeks and throughout the morning, I was the one receiving some much needed seeds of truth:

* God didn’t expect me to individually give that entire pile of shoes. He asked me to do my part and give what He led me to give. Some gave one pair; some gave many pairs. Some gave gently used shoes; some bought brand new shoes to donate. Some will donate and pray; some will go to Africa and help distribute shoes and the Gospel.

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Romans 12:4-8, NLT)

* Just as in the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, we cannot see a physical need and simply walk away. Nor can we only say, “Oh, that person needs to hear the Gospel,” while seeing another need that they have. By meeting the one need, the meeting of the other need will become more readily accepted. We are commanded: “love your neighbor as yourself,” and in this story, the one to whom we are to show mercy is our neighbor.

“In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (John 10:30-37, NIV)

* We must be grateful. One of the “traditions” we do at church on the last Sunday of the “Soles for Jesus” drive is to come to church barefoot that day—even the preacher does it! But because it was a little chilly today, I wore some old flip flops while walking from my car to the parking lot and then put them in my purse until it was time to leave again. As I put them back on, I realized again how truly blessed I am. I had options that the soon-to-be-recipients of these shoes don’t have: (1) I got to choose which pair(s) of shoes to donate. (2) I got to go through a wide assortment of shoes and decide which pair to wear to and from the car. (3) I got to put on shoes when my “temporary” state of being barefoot was no longer convenient. I went to my car in a spirit of gratitude and a renewed responsibility to be a good steward of the blessings that God has given to me.

“…From everyone who has been given much, much will be required….” (Luke 12:48, NASB)

Lord, let my life be a “sermon in shoes!”

The three-week pile of shoes (after church)

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