flying shoes & dysfunctional status quos

“No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”(Psalm 84:11)

A few months ago, I bought some new shoes for my son. I successfully maintained my long-standing precedence of buying shoes that were too small, then going back to the store days later to exchange them for the next size up. Only this time, they didn’t have a ½ size bigger. So rather than embrace that there are other stores that exist in the world aside from Target and Wal-Mart naturally, we got a whole size bigger. And they seemed to be the right size. Until they started flying off his feet when put in playground motion.

Being the cheap frugal mom I am, I figured we’d just give it a little time, and he’d grow into them.
Right? . . .

At first, he was inconvenienced with having to retrieve his shoe and put it back on – multiple times when playing. So if you would have asked him a few months ago if he’d like a pair of shoes that fit better, he would have welcomed the opportunity.
But then, he adapted.

Several months weeks passed, and my husband and I continued to witness the case of the flying shoe. So I asked my son if it happened every day at school, and he very matter-of-factly explained that he has simply started to run slower to reduce the incidents.
He was compensating to accommodate a wrong fit.

When I heard that, I felt like a loser mom and horribly guilty badly, so I decided that it was time. Time that he had the right fit.

So I decided to take him to a whole new world shoe store on the way home from school today. And I eagerly anticipated announcing the good news to him receiving a hero's fanfare in response. It was going to be one of those special moments as a parent when I intentionally affirmed that his needs are important. I couldn’t wait to verbalize with all sincerity of heart that now, he can run as fast as he wants to.
That he doesn’t have to be held back, anymore!
It was an opportunity to give my son a gift of freedom, and I was fully embracing it.

But my son?
Um, not so much.

With a likely glow of pride satisfaction, I reached out to my son’s heart with the news this afternoon. And rather than embracing the fullness of the freedom at hand, or at least delighting in a much-improved situation, he resisted. He started to persuasively explain to me that his current shoes are fine. No, they’re actually great! In fact, they’re not falling off as much.
Only “zero – one” times!
A day. . .

Needless to say, we proceeded to the shoe store to remedy the situation. But I started to think – that’s exactly what we do as adults. We adapt to things that aren’t a healthy fit for our souls. Fear, patterns in relationships, comfort zones, emotional idols.

At first, we know something’s not best. We’re aware.Then, we begin to compensate in life to accommodate the pattern. To make it less frustrating.
It grows on us, becomes a part of us. We get comfortable with it.
And consider it good.

And then, God offers us better.

Maybe an opportunity to throw off chains of fear, stretch out our arms, and experience the thrill of a trust fall into His arms.

Or a gentle nudging from the Holy Spirit to take that first step.

An invitation from Him to be fragile, knowing full well that our souls are safely in the palm of His strong, but gentle hand. Nurtured, cared for, and protected.

The courage walk by faith, when sight’s screams are perpetual, and relentless.

And what do we do? We resist. I do. I start to tell Him all the reasons why my current this or that is fine. That I really don't want Him to move my cheese am okay with the status quo.

But what if?
What if instead, we said yes.
And freely received.

The next time our Father offers you or I a new pair of shoes, friend, let’s see them through His eyes.
And welcome them.

Let’s embrace the opportunities to clothe ourselves with His best, and the freedom to freely RUN!