September 28, 2010

• The Girl Who Shared Her Shoes

  Got this from my daughter, Noelle, and felt it too good NOT to share:

   

  The Girl Who Shared Her Shoes, by Noelle Nicollette Smallish

   

   

  Early in April, I went to another city in Mexico for a church service and then, afterwards, spent some time with members of the church at a cookout where we played volleyball. At the time, I didn’t have good shoes to play in, so I remember that one of the girls at the party took me into her house, handed me some socks and a pair of shoes that I could use. She was friendly; a big smile on her face and a cheerful attitude that made me feel really welcomed. I remember taking pictures with her and telling her I looked forward to seeing her again before too long.

  I haven’t seen her since. However, I haven’t forgotten her–the girl who shared her shoes.

  I think it’s important to ask why God brings different people into our lives. Every face we see, every person we meet or look at, is being used by God in some way to impact our lives, and, at the same time, God is using us in some way to speak into the lives of those people. No encounter with another person is unimportant. But do YOU recognize that?

  What impression are you leaving on different people in your life? Do they feel blessed after speaking with you, or are they left hurt, offended or upset? The people in the car next to you, in your church, in your classroom, in the store, in the house?

  Ask yourself: Do I want my impatience in line at the grocery store to be the only thing the cashier ever knows about me? Do I want my disrespect and frustration to be all that I offer to the life of a slow waitress (who’s potentially having a bad day)?

  Being a blessing to others isn’t only important for those we see regularly. God desires that EVERY person we come across would receive seeds of hope, of love, and of mercy through our small, seemingly trivial actions. In everything we do, we either speak life and restoration to people, or we speak brokenness. In a broken world, I certainly think we could use more seeds of hope.

  And more girls who share their shoes.

  Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

  • 10:01 am
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