The Visited Shoes

(This post first appeared in October 2013. I came across it today and wanted to share it with you because I remember these shoes so vividly.)

They were absolutely gorgeous, these shoes sitting on the counter in the store. Their shiny, burgundy leather caught my eye from the very start. They were peep-toe high heels, and once I had tried them on, it was love. There was only one thing I didn't like about them... the price tag. They were more expensive than I was used to paying for shoes, and I couldn't bring myself to buy them. I left them on the shelf and walked out of the store.

For several weeks, I "visited" those shoes.  At least every couple of weeks, usually after payday, I would return to the store.  I might have said I was looking for something else, but I always knew I was looking for those shoes.  I never went to the shoe department first, though. I have always liked to save the best for last.  After I had finished the rest of my shopping, I would go to the shoe department and “visit” the shoes I loved.  Often, I would try them on yet again.  They still looked just as good as they had before, but unfortunately, the price tag remained prohibitive.

My husband urged me to buy them, but I just couldn't justify spending that much money on a pair of shoes, especially when I already have plenty of shoes.  Again, I left them on the shelf and walked out empty-handed.

Then one day, after receiving a bonus at work, I decided I was definitely going to buy those shoes.  This time, I went straight to the shoe department and headed to the shelf where "my" shoes lived.  Only they didn't have my size anymore.  I tried on the size above mine, but it was too big.  I tried on a size below mine, but it was too small. They had my size in the black version, and I tried them on, but they weren't nearly as beautiful as the burgundy ones.  Yet again, I left the store empty-handed, but this time, I was much more disappointed.

After that, I didn’t think about those shoes for months.  In fact, I hadn't visited that store much since the day they didn’t have my size in “my shoes”.  One day, however, we went there again.  I shopped around without finding anything that interested me, and then, as usual, I headed to the shoe department.  I looked around and then passed by the clearance table. 

 I was shocked to see four boxes of the gorgeous burgundy shoes piled up on the clearance table!  None of them were my size.  The largest size in the stack, the one sitting on top, would still be too small for me. I tried them on anyway, not expecting them to come close to fitting.  I was shocked when they fit perfectly!  There is no way that shoe box had the correct size on it, because I knew my foot had not shrunk in a few months.

Then I looked at the sign on the table. Initially, the items on the table were 50% off, but on this day, they were also an additional 25% off.  I walked out of the store carrying my gorgeous shoes after only paying a fraction of what I had expected to pay months before.

Many might argue that all of this is a coincidence, but their arguments would be in vain.  I don't believe that our Lord deals in coincidences.  I do believe that He knows and cares about the desires and hopes of His children, and He seeks to satisfy those desires as much as He can.  If we know how to "give good gifts" to our children, "how much more shall your Father which is heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:11.)

No, it wasn’t a coincidence that the shoes, which were obviously not the size on the box but the perfect size for me, were sitting on top of the stack on the sale table.  It was also no coincidence that they were sitting there on the very day we decided to return to that store for the first time in weeks.

Every time I looked down at my beautiful burgundy shoes, I was reminded of just how much my Heavenly Father loves me.   Retelling the story today, I am still reminded that no detail in our lives escapes His notice, His care, or His concern.

 

Psalms 145:16

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."

*Updated because I realized the first paragraph had been left out. fvd

 

Friday Photos

I have to confess, I did not take this picture, Glen did.

We were backpacking in Georgia and had stopped for a break at a small clearing.  As we took our backpacks off and were leaning them against a fallen log, Glen noticed this lone leaf on the log.

I have always loved the contrast of the greyed-out wood and the vibrant leaf.  

All Things Ellie Tuesday

 Today is a day we do something doesn't like and does like.  It is Ellie's "Spa Day."

On "Spa Day," Ellie gets her nails trimmed, her fur brushed out, a special brushing of her teeth and a massage. A small bowl of chicken nearby makes this all possible.  

I spread everything out on the table and have it ready before we begin, including the bowl of chopped chicken.  She gets a bite of chicken along the way to make the process easier.

I turn on some dog soothing music, and we begin.  First I brush out her fur, which she seems to almost enjoy.  Then I put her up in my lap at the table.  She has learned to prop her back feet on the sides of the table which I think makes her feel more secure.

With my tasks, I always like to do the least favorite thing first, and I use that protocol for Ellie, too.  So we start with the nail trimming.  She really tolerates this very well, considering how much she doesn't like it,  probably because we have done this since she was a tiny puppy. I use a nail grinder for this and I think it is the sound she doesn't like more than anything else.

After a few minutes, I give her a piece of chicken as a reward.  We continue in that manner until all nails on her front paws have been trimmed.  The nails on her back paws rarely need trimming. This part of our  "Spa Day" also includes a special cleaning and moisturizing of her feet and pads, which she definitely does not like.  Once her paws are done we move to her ears.  She actually likes this part.

Since beagles have long, hanging ears, it is easy for dirt to accumulate.  I use a baby wipe and clean deep in each ear.  She loves how I can reach - and scratch- parts of her ears she can't reach.

A new wipe is used to wipe down her face and her backside (in that order, of course.)

We finish with brushing her teeth and using a "mouthwash" for dogs that helps keep her teeth clean and healthy.

Then it is time for the massage.

I start with her neck, which she really likes.  The I massage her shoulder and she leans into me and really relaxes.  I go all the way down her front leg to her paw.  She doesn't like that as much as the shoulder, so I always finish with with a bit on the shoulder again.  Then I repeat on the other side.  

When we are done, she happily jumps down.  If there is any chicken left in the bowl, she gets the rest.

While she probably doesn't enjoy most of her "Spa Day," it is important those things be done.  That is one reason why I like to take some time rubbing her shoulders.  Plus, I love the way it feels when she really relaxes and her full weight is on me. I know she is trusting me and enjoying what I am doing.

It reminds me of our relationship with the Lord.  There are times He has to take us through some things we don't enjoy, even some things we really don't like.  But He does it for our ultimate good.  And I'm sure He especially loves it when He does something we like and we "lean into" Him, trusting Him fully.

The "What If" Road or the "He is" Road?

So many times in my life, I have looked out into the future (my first mistake) and wondered, "What if...?"

That is not necessarily a bad thing to do in general.  As a person with a planning-oriented personality, this thought process is particularly helpful.  I love it when my husband asks me if I have this or that, and I am not only sure I have the requested item, but I can also readily produce it.  But when "what if..." is accompanied by fear, then it is a very dangerous thing.

Without the Lord's intervention in our lives, none of us would enter into a fearful "what if..." without falling into despair.  There are too many things in our lives that can lead us to that road.

But, thank the Lord, if we have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we are not without Him in any situation, at any time.  It is His promise He will be all we need - let me repeat that - He will be ALL we need, in every moment of our lives, if we trust Him to be so.  He has promised to provide for us, to comfort us, to sustain us, to strengthen us, and if necessary, to walk with us through the "valley of the shadow" of death.

Our first AT white blaze

Sometimes, when we have been backpacking, we have come to a spot where two trails cross each other.  Thankfully, on the Appalachian Trail, where most of our backpacking has occurred, the signs are clear which road to take.  If they were not, consulting a map can help us make the correct choice. 

In life, some moments put us at emotional and spiritual crossroads as well.  We have a choice.  We can follow the "What if" trail and find it to be a rugged, dark, steep, and rocky path.  Or we can choose the "He is" trail.  While still a difficult trail, the steepness is softened by His presence.  The rocks are cushioned with His love, the darkness is brightened by His Light, and the ruggedness is made easier by the softness of His heart.

Glen hiking up a mountain in Virginia

Just as in backpacking, when we find ourselves in those crossroad situations, we must consult our "map".  We must seek to know what the Scriptures say not so much about our trial, but about our "trail guide", who is with us always.  We must follow His leading and trust He will be all we need Him to be every step of the way.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."  

Isaiah 41:10