If you want to forget all your other troubles,
wear too tight shoes.
~ author Unknown
They seem like a harmless pair of cute, toddler, jelly sandals, no? Well … they were.
Until my cranky, ailing princess decided to try to squeeze her well-covered-with-socks-and-unhealed toes into them!
They just wouldn’t fit! And she just wouldn’t give up! All I could do was stand by watching incredulously as she struggled to get her feet into them. Tantrum after tantrum.
I would gently tell her “they aren’t fitting.” “Let’s wait until your feet heal.” “Look at your sparkly ‘Dorothy‘ shoes.”
Nothing I said mattered. She was bound and determined … all caught up in the emotion of a fresh pair of synthetic smelling jelly sandals.
Truth is … I finally had to walk away. She.just.would.not.listen to me.
I wonder how often God stares at us incredulously? Clearly, something in our lives just isn’t working. It’s not where we’re supposed to be … where He wants us … what he desires for us.
And yet we struggle. We make it fit.
Until we’re tantruming on our closet floor … all cried out, puffy-and-red-faced.
Meanwhile, God’s gently telling us, “it doesn’t fit.” “Just wait.” “Look over here at what I have better for you.”
But we refuse to see it. We’re all caught up in the emotion of that new pair of sandals.
And so our loving God let’s us go through it. He lets us learn. Until we come to Him with a new pair of shoes, hoping those will be the ones that fit comfortably.
Oh, but how great it would be if we didn’t even have to go through that trial … walk all day in those very uncomfortable and ill-fitting pair of shoes.
Won’t you trust in Him today? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
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Today is Hunter’s sixth birthday!! In honor of that, the rest of this week’s re-posts will be about my babygirl! Bear with me? :)
Ah, the truth is written here. We have to learn those lessons the hard way sometimes.
Mom bloggers have the prerogative to write excessively about their babies. It’s a law in blogland. ;)
shoes & God. perfect :) and happy birthday to the baby girl :) xoxo
Ouch! What an incredible devotional to share!! Thank you!!
Happy Birthday Hunter! Have a fun day!
Crying over here. I just emailed you with a prayer request and this pretty much says everything I needed to hear right now. Before emailing you I was talking to Lee on the phone and told him to trust in God. I’m now sending him a link to this post. Oh Tracie, you are a Godsend and such a blessing to me. I love you & cherish our friendship more than you know!
Please give Hunter “Happy Birthday” wishes from me! If I happen to see you online with Skype later I’ll call to tell her myself. Such a cutie you have there!!!
Happy Birthday to your baby! Sweet baby pics/posts always welcome : ) My boys are all so big now I get teary looking at their baby pics or just thinking about it : ) Love the analogy between the tight shoes and us and God. Been there!