Wedding Shoes

Our wedding day was amazing. After it was done I said, “That was so fun I want to do it all over again.” There are so many memories I have of this wonderful time. Here’s one of them.

My sister, Lynn, and my mother had come for the week.

Lynn still needed a pair of shoes for the wedding. This was important since she was the maid of honor. She didn’t mention it till Thursday, when, now, the pace of life had really escalated. I mean, we had just been to the mall earlier in the week. She could have brought up that need then.

Lynn decided to ride my antique beach bike to Wal-Mart and get a pair of shoes. I’m thinking, “Wal-Mart? Really? In the August heat of Oklahoma?”

Wrong on so many levels!

I tried to discourage her from a bike ride, telling her I would take her shopping. She held her ground, saying she needed the exercise. I didn’t have the time to argue, and since she is not one to be persuaded I just gave her directions for the half mile excursion to Wal-Mart. Simple.

She left, and I went about the numerous tasks still on my “To-Do” list.

After, what seemed like hours, I began to wonder what in the world happened? Just as I was about to go looking for her, the door flung open and there she stood; red faced, saturated with sweat, and empty handed. She proceeded to tell me that there was NO Wal-Mart a half mile away. In fact, she had biked miles and miles (on the antique beach bike) and never did she see a Wal-Mart, a gas station, or any store for that matter. All she saw for miles and miles were cows, horses, a broken down barn and a questionable Catfish restaurant.

She has always been a little directionally challenged. You could practically see the Wal-Mart from our complex (in one direction) and in the other… only cow pastures as far as one could see… or ride their bike!

She now decided she no longer needed shoes – that what she had would be fine. She assured me that no one would be looking at her feet under her dress. I had enough on my mind, so I let it go.

Our wedding day was great; lots of fun and precious memories. One of the funniest is Lynn’s brown clod-hopper shoes under her lavender organza gown, sticking out: when she walked down the isle, when she stood on the platform, when she stood in the receiving line, and in many of the pictures.

I was too happy to care, thank God!

How often do we hear but not really listen and understand?

“Okay. I know, I know! I got it,” I can hear her saying as she was walking out the door.

The difference was a half mile journey to an air-conditioned destination or hours of traveling in the hot sun. One is much easier than the other. I think how often, if we could just follow the direction the Lord is giving us, that our journey would not be as difficult as we make it.

I have been guilty of saying, in essence, “Okay, okay, I got it – thanks, I’ll take it from here,” as I sense the direction the Lord is leading me. It’s not until I have gone a few miles down the road, hot and sweating, that I stop and realize I have set out on my own with my presumed understanding instead of REALLY listening – again!

I am learning, but I want the progress to be faster. I am tired of riding my bike in the wrong direction too many times.

He who has ears to her, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing. – Matthew 13:9

Amen!

There is such a fine balance between listening and moving, and fearing and holding back; of presuming we understand and charge off in our own strength, or realizing that this adventure of life needs constant input from Someone wiser and greater than me at the helm.

Am I the only one?

What an exciting journey we are on.

Blessings,