Sneakers That Talk

I love new things. New pants, new golf clubs, new jobs. And definitely new shoes. Especially tennis shoes. That pristine, white, clean look is sweet. And as I get ready to pack up and head to a new church to take on a new job, I paused this week to glance at my old sneakers. They’re old, torn, dirty, worn, scuffed, and ugly. But as I thought about it, I realized there are lots of stories in those shoes. They were with me on walks and bike rides. They guided my steps on the job at the mission. They were on my feet when I moved to a new apartment. The stepped in puddles, snow, and on green, lush grass (which I have not seen since November). How can I possibly get rid of them? They are a part of me.

Aren’t we kind of like those shoes? We love to come across as clean, having it all together, ready, and willing to shine. And maybe we start that way. But life happens. We get torn, betrayed, broken, worn and weary. And we start to wonder if we really can be of any value to God. We make mistakes and stumble, and like the old shoes, think maybe God would be better off to just toss us aside and use someone else.

“…he that sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.’” Wow! How cool is that? I take from that passage that God is NEVER done with us. He never turns his back. He will take what we have to offer, regardless of how puny we think it is, and make something really great out of it. God is not in the trash business. He is in the restoration business. And I am so thankful for it.

I encourage us all, in faith, to give God whatever we’ve got and then stand back and watch Him work a miracle with our offering…our life.