Shoes In Heaven
To say that women are crazy about shoes is true but I’ve learned from experience that boys can be just as crazy. Not too long ago our boys loved spending Saturdays going to shoe stores. Some parents take their kids to zoos – we gazed for hours at shoes. Walking in and out of Foot Locker, Finish Line, Champs, and others, just wondering what it would be like to have all those shoes on our feet.
About 10 years ago, when Isaiah was five, we were laying down together watching tv when he started talking about heaven, wondering what it would be like there. It was so sweet, but he looked at me and said, “I’m not sure I’ll like heaven, if you have to wear those ugly sandal shoes.” If you know Isaiah, you know he would be the one to worry about the attire in heaven.
Of course, I thought that was such a cute statement at the time but now pondering on it again, as it pops up in my Facebook memories, I can’t help but realize that I still use statements like this a lot, yet I’m not a cute five-year-old.
Statements such as:
I don’t like it.
I don’t feel like it.
I want it this way.
I need this.
Finding the common denominator among these statements isn’t hard- they all start with “I”. The temptation to fill our lives with only the things we like is very real. To know what we like, want, and need is not a bad thing, but when they start to rule our life and take our minds off the things of God and others, we may need a Word check.
In Romans 13:14, Paul urges us as Christ followers to take off the garment that isn’t flattering us anymore. In other words, bye-bye crop top, it’s time to put on Jesus.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. Romans 13:14
He’s talking about all of our human desires; it’s our human desires that want us to feel good, to have it our way, and to be treated the way we deserve. When we seek first what we want, instead of seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, the desires of our own heart will always fall short. However, when your desires align with His—trust me, His ways are higher than ours—He will add to your life all you need. And in the hopes of my son, He may even give us cool shoes in heaven.