More than Sunday Shoes?

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a place where school started after the Labor Day holiday. I loved school and was eager to return, except for one aspect, it meant I would have to put on a pair of shoes. Labor Day meant the barefoot days of summer were behind me. I complained the whole time we were in the shoe store trying on school shoes because no matter the size, they felt tight. It was because, as the salesman said, my feet were undisciplined. They had been free all summer to wander about unencumbered by leather and laces. My feet were very tender at the beginning of the summer, and I will never forget the beginning of the season attempting to walk down the road to Sam Park’s store. Sam’s store was at the end of the gravel road my grandmother lived on, and we would walk there to buy a coke or candy. The rocks did not hinder my cousins, who lived in Tennessee year-round. They loved to run down the road mocking us city cousins as we tiptoed and strategically planned our steps to avoid crying out. Frequently, this initiation to the return to the barefoot world caused what was referred to as stone bruises. 

Early in the summer, evenings were often spent soaking a foot in my grandmother’s chipped white enamel pan, brimming with hot water and Epsom salts to heal from the insults of the day like cuts and sprains. But by the end of the season, my foot had toughened up, and just about when I felt like a barefoot champion, school shoes started calling. My grandmother, who was a school teacher herself, would always look down at my calloused, dirty feet and talk about the return to school. With a big grin on her face, she would say, “playtime is over; time to get back to work.” 

For me, I dreaded the first few days of constant shoe wear. Though I wore shoes to church on Sundays for a few hours, that was nothing compared to the confinement of shoewear in a walk to and from school, not to mention the entire school day. Of course, Detroit autumn evenings were cool, and I loved school, so it didn’t take long for me to adjust. My romance with shoes was rekindled because hopscotch and basketball, riding bikes, recess, gym class, and climbing trees reminded me of all the things I loved about wearing shoes. There were things I could do in shoes that weren’t possible barefoot.

Wearing shoes continued to mean business at my house. If you wanted to run errands with Dad, he would first say, “if you are going with me, you better get your shoes on.” Even now, my three dogs get up from a nap or stop and stare when I start to put on my shoes. The optimism in their eyes is heartwarming because they associate shoes with a walk for them. If I don’t reach for the leash, they hang their heads, for they know this means I am about to leave them. Either way, they know shoes mean business. Something is about to change or happen.

In Ephesians 6 concerning the Armor of God, Paul cautions us about warfare and battle and has already instructed us to make sure we dress completely for war. In verse 15, the instructions say the ‘shoes of the peace of the Gospel make us fully prepared.’ I can’t help but hear my grandmother’s words, “playtime is over; time to get back to work.” Putting on shoes is an intentional act. Hanging on to the peace of God is as well. It is a choice. Not only am I told to put on shoes, but I am also taught what type of shoes I am to wear. I am to wear shoes constructed of the peace that comes from the Good News. What is the Good News? It is that Jesus has come and redeemed us, restored us, and rescued us! Our deliverer has come! His victory over sin and death announces to the world that everything is under His dominion, even death. He is the author of any confident lasting peace that I could obtain. Therefore, intentionally heading out to battle(live life in this world) with my feet anchored in this peace makes me ready for anything that could or would pose a threat. Though I may engage in battle and face wounds and hurts, I don’t have to lose my peace. I can stay at the business at hand of whatever I am facing, whether it be seasons of victory or temporary losses. 

The defensive part of my armor includes the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. The shoes of Gospel peace give me courage. They aid me in the direction of victory. I remember how much faster I could run in the fall in shoes than barefoot in summer. I would forget over the summer the amount of traction I could gain wearing shoes. It gave me the advantage of speed and safety. I remember crossing creek beds and wishing I had my rubber tennis shoes on those summer days. The cool water felt great, but the slimy algae on uneven rocks and boulders made for many a fall. 

One summer, I missed out on a lot of playtimes due to a badly sprained thumb from such an adventure. The shoes of Gospel peace give me safety. They provide traction should I need to flee quickly, and they offer stability when I travel over the uneven ground that daily life offers. There are places I can go and things I can accomplish for God wearing Gospel shoes that would not be possible barefoot. Also, the shoes of the Gospel were not designed just for Sunday wear. You know, where we try to dress up spiritually for God by going to church, giving money, and recounting our good deeds. Where we smile outwardly and inwardly resent. If we have not been wearing Gospel shoes all week and being intentional for the Lord, we are going to find spiritual footwear more uncomfortable than a new pair of school shoes. Gospel shoes need to be broken in. I have learned the longer they are worn, the more comfortable they get.

Today, I am reminded that my spirit often longs for the unencumbered status of childhood. I grow weary some days of the drudgery of life and the fight. This doesn’t mean there won’t be any rest or playtime along the way, for God always offers us havens and harbors. But for now, God has called me into being about His business of advancing the kingdom. I believe God promises me when I cross the last battlefield (death)and arrive in heaven, I will be relieved of my armor and lay it at the feet of Christ and give Him glory and thank Him for how He has sustained me through the fight. I believe it will be summertime, and my barefoot days will not be limited and will be far greater and more carefree than I can imagine. 

Lord, help me to put on the shoes of the Gospel of peace. Let me be intentional as I walk, work, battle, and even play in them. May they look comfortable to others and let the testimony of my soul and spirit show the wear of a daily walk with you.

Next time in the vineyard, the 5 o’clock worker looks at “Taking Cover… The Sheild of Faith” when the series”The Wardrobe” continues.