Feb
2
2018

Sneaker Shopping

Posted in Evangelism | Leave a comment

My youngest daughter just got back from California.
She is a senior in college and will be graduating in May.
Her college has something called a J-term, which takes place in the month of January.
J-term is one class that meets each day for an extended period of time.

Some students choose to travel abroad for their J-term.
Some students choose to stay on campus and take a class.
Some students, like my daughter, choose to go somewhere and serve.
No matter what you choose during J-term, the experience is wonderful.

Weeks before, the students involved with the California trip met with the professor.
They were briefed on what they would experience and what was expected of them.
Leaving the winter months of Pennsylvania for the warmth of California was unusual.
There were suggestions about what type of clothing to pack.

One week was in Los Angeles, one week was in the mountains, and one week was in San Diego.
The weather was expected to be cold in the mountains.
My daughter packed accordingly.
I was amazed at how efficiently she packed everything she would need.

The weather was not as warm as predicted.
It rained.
They had more rain in Los Angeles the week my daughter was there than they had in a while.
She brought a light jacket that she wore when our family went to Ireland.

She discovered that the light jacket was not waterproof.
Her sneakers got soaked each day as they fed the homeless and helped others.
Even though she had other shoes, those sneakers were her go-to shoes for lots of walking.
I remember her text telling me how most evenings were spent drying things out.

Right before she came home, she asked me if she should pack her ruined sneakers.
No, throw them away, I told her.
We will go out for a new pair when you get home, I said.
Thanks, Mom! She texted, and I looked forward to a shopping day with my daughter.

We had our shopping day, which of course included going out for lunch.
We went to the outlets, since they have a store that carries her favorite brand of sneaker.
We were approached by a salesman as soon as we got in the store.
Can I help you find something? He asked us.

I need to get a new pair of sneakers, my daughter answered.
What kind are you looking for? The salesman asked.
He named various styles of sneakers, explaining how the particular sneaker fit the activity.
My daughter explained the type of activity she planned to do in her new sneakers.

I have been to this store before when I needed to get new sneakers.
I have never had anyone as thorough as this salesman.
I admit that I often buy sneakers based on the color I want and the price.
I was learning that there really is a science behind a sneaker purchase.

Let me watch you walk, the salesman said to my daughter.
She took off her boots and walked in her stocking feet.
She walked the entire length of the store, turned around and came back.
The salesman was crouching down watching her feet as she took every step.

He said that she had a neutral foot, not turning one way or the other.
Based on that information, he was able to point her to the sneakers that were right for her.
She went right to a particular pair in a color she loves.
She tried them on.

Oh, these feel so great, she said with a little bounce to her step as she stood up.
She walked the length of the store again.
The salesman crouched down and watched her walk.
I really like these, she said.

She put them back in the box and I brought them up to the register.
I knew the sensor would have to be removed from the shoe.
The salesman checked inside each shoe to make sure they were the same size.
I inserted my credit card, completed the purchase, and got my receipt.

We had talked together and enjoyed each other’s company all afternoon.
The car ride home was a bit quieter as we listened to music.
I thought of our experience in the sneaker outlet.
I thought about what the salesman said: Let me watch you walk.

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Let me watch you walk.
Do we even realize how many people watch us as we walk throughout our day?
They listen to our words.
They watch what we do.

It is daunting to think that we are being watched.
People are watching us to determine if our walk and our talk agree.
What a responsibility we have, particularly if we are in Christ.
People are watching us in the dailiness of our lives to see how we take each step.

Children are watching how their parents walk.
Young people are watching how the older people walk.
People who may have questions about their faith or how to walk with God, watch us.
Does our walk and our talk agree?

We all sin.
We all fail in something each day.
There are times when our walk and our talk will not be in step with each other.
That is when we ask forgiveness; that is when we admit that we messed up.

That takes courage.
That takes humility.
That takes honesty.
That takes grace.

The help we need to walk and talk in agreement comes from the Spirit’s leading in our lives.
We who are in Christ, can walk and talk in agreement as we lean on Him.
We will never walk and talk perfectly.
However, we have a Savior who died for every one of our missteps.

Let me see how you walk.
On my own, I cannot take a step worth watching.
Apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
In Christ, through His Holy Spirit, I can walk and talk with integrity and grace.

And to think we were only in the store to buy a new pair of sneakers.

 

Whispers of His Movement and Whispers in Verse books are now available in paperback and e-book!

http://www.whispersofhismovement.com/book/

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