I Want to Buy These Shoes...

Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. ~Deuteronomy 7:25

Spectator shoes...red pumps...French shoes with a pretty bow...boots...ahh...shoes....aren't they lovely?

A few years ago, when my son was maybe three or four, we were driving in the car when this lovely song, "Christmas Shoes" came on the radio.  I cannot listen to this song without tears streaming down my face.  My son, with his thumb in his mouth, looked very contemplative, as if he, too were intently listening to these words:

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

Maybe I cry because the story is so sad; maybe it's because it is so touching; maybe it's because my own mother passed away years ago...maybe, the Holy Spirit is convicting me...

After the song was over, my son took his thumb out of his mouth and said very quietly,

"Mom."

Of course, with my face dripping, I am thinking he feels sorry for me and that he is going to tell me if I were dying he would buy me a pair of shoes.  Nope.

He says, "Mom, I'm not going to buy you any shoes for Christmas."

"You have too many."

Four years old.

The end of the song goes like this:

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about.

As if I had any more tears to cry, I cried harder.  He was right and God used my little boy to teach me a very valuable lesson.  I used to save all my money to buy very expensive shoes!  I would see a pair and just have to have them!  I would not rest until I got them...covetousness and unawareness to the fullest!  That morning, my heart hurt over the money I had spent on such extravagant shoes.  It hurt over the covetousness in my heart.  It hurt, because there are people without a single pair of shoes.

A year and a half ago, I broke my foot.  Talk about unawareness...I walked on this foot for over a year in pain, but unaware that it was broken.  I went to the doctor and was treated for what we all thought was a tendon problem.  Eventually, I couldn't take the agony any longer, so had an x-ray taken of my foot.  The doctor told me that I had broken my foot and it was mush...that I would never wear those lovely heels again.  What?  My lovely shoes?  All those high heels? 

I wore a cast for 12 weeks and vowed not to complain a bit! 

I packed up all those pretty shoes in a laundry basket and gave them away.

God does use small children to teach us, if only we will listen.  He also uses our hardships to teach us many truths.  As miserable as that year was, (and yes, I felt like an idiot for not getting that x-ray sooner!) I learned so many invaluable lessons and found some freedom along the way!

I am linking to Spiritual Sundays!