Shoes by Sandy McMath
I had polio as a 9-month-old, so wearing a brace has "always been." Very independent, I never give it much thought. God has blessed me with a strong sense of self, a great example of His providence! But there are hassles. I can't ride a bike, water ski, or hike long distances. And there's the issue of shoes.
My feet are different sizes---a lady's 6 and a child's 12. For years I ordered matching lady's and children's shoes. (Can you see it, wearing the same style as your child?) Then the market changed, and such shoes were gone. So with the help of a shoe repairman, I pieced, patched, and mended what I had, once going 12 years without new shoes.
In 2007, my son Brandon visited a friend in Bogota, Columbia. He and Maria had met two years earlier when Brandon worked in Yellowstone National Park. I'd heard South American countries had custom shoemakers, so I sent a pair to see what he could find. He returned with two pairs, one from a clinic that made specialty shoes! They weren't perfect but I saw the potential. My search continued.
Three years later my shoes were falling apart. Repairs were now impossible. I looked to the shoe industry and found nothing. I even thought of asking Oprah for help. Isn't that so true of our lives? We problem-solve and try all sorts of crazy things before we take it to the Lord. Finally, with one dead end after another, I asked God for help. Luke 12 came to mind as I prayed.
Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you... (vv 27-28)
Even shoes, Lord? Really? My husband, John, wanted to order shoes from the Bogota clinic. But we don't speak Spanish, so that would be impossible. Then one day as I worked at home, my housekeeper, Norma, came by. She just happened to speak Spanish and made the call for me!
Mariella, who just happened to be walking by, answered. She just happened to be the one who designs and crafts the shoes. On hearing my dilemma, Mariella agreed to help, but this would be difficult by phone. What will we do? John announced our new vacation destination: Bogota, Columbia.
I never envisioned going to a place known for drug cartels. And it would cost a lot of money for the trip and the shoes. Lord, can you give me a clear sign we are to go? One day as I just happened to drive along a route I seldom take, a giant billboard caught my eye: Delta opens new flights to Bogota! On Sale! I'd never seen that sign before...nor ever since. Tickets were purchased, appointments made.
But where will we stay? The clinic was in a residential area that just happened to have only one hotel, that just happened to be two blocks from the clinic. We could walk there. How will we explain all the details? Maria just happened to be in town and was available to interpret for us.
How will we get to the hotel from the Airport? Our journey would be a scary leap of faith for us. We asked Mariella (now our angel in Bogota) about taxies. She offered her husband who just happened to be able to pick us up. How will we know who he is? He just happened to have a big sign with SANDY on it!
Even shoes, Lord? A billboard? A helpful son? A loving husband? Only one hotel, the clinic nearby? Maria as our interpreter? People in a foreign land wanting to help us? Really, Lord?!
Oh Lord, not only do you provide for my needs but even over the top. With a loving wink, you tell me, I've got you covered. This trip was indeed His plan for us. We just needed to TRUST! Thank you Lord. What the world sees as coincidence, things that "just happen", believers must learn to see and know as God's Providence.
