She shall perhaps think twice before wearing lovely shoes that are also very impractical for having fun again…
Though she is far too young, my daughter sometimes wears shoes with a moderate high heel.
She is at the age when those sorts of shoes appeal to her and though she is not really old enough to handle something like that on a regular basis, she is certainly able to manage a few hours at a party or a dinner wearing shoes that are really completely impractical for walking.
The other day she insisted on wearing these sorts of shoes to a party that she attended. Before we left the house, I explained to her that there would be lots of walking around at this party and that she would probably be dancing as well and as a result of all of these activities, it was unlikely that she would actually enjoy wearing those shoes. You see, while shoes with a heel can make a person feel beautiful on the outside, they are terribly painful to wear and completely impractical for walking or anything useful.
And so – as I had predicted – by the end of the evening, my daughter’s feet were really quite sore from wearing those moderately high heels, and she sort of hobbled over to me and asked if I would be willing to leave now as she was sore and sorry after having worn her beautiful and uncomfortable shoes for the evening.
And we headed home, and my daughter was really none the worse for the experience of those shoes – though she shall perhaps think twice before wearing lovely shoes that are also very impractical for having fun again…
And I have been thinking about that today – and the pain in my daughter’s feet from those shoes, because it reminds me of the pain caused by the choices we make with sin and a life that is not aligned to achieving sanctification… You see, just as my daughter chose to wear shoes that did not serve a practical purpose but that felt delightful to wear at the beginning of the evening, so too do I often participate in behaviours that seem wonderful to me initially, but which eventually lead me away from God and everything that is important to me…
Things that seem quite harmless at first – a few more minutes of television instead of time spent praying a small prayer, or more time at work and less with my family – can have consequences that become unbearable over a period of time.
And just as those shoes were initially harmless for my daughter’s feet, though those things may seem initially harmless, they are not harmless at all. Over time those things build up to a point where the ramifications of them are unbearable. And in the end, they cause us to make decisions that are perhaps not in our best interests (like leaving a party early).
And I have been thinking about that today, as I have been thinking about my daughter’s sore feet… Because there are so many things that I need to consider when I am thinking about how to get to Heaven… So very many things…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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