Okay, I will be honest. Being a guy, pampered is probably
not the way that most people would describe my feet. I don’t get pedicures, I stand on them most
of the day, and then idea of someone rubbing them gives me the creeps. And according to most people, while I would
say my feet are just manly, many people would refer to them as gross.
But my feet should be thankful. I let them breathe in the summer, I keep them
bundled up in the winter, I wash them at least once a day, and they always have
the right pair of shoes for the occasion.
This is especially true when I run. I have been a runner for about 8 years now,
and in that time I have learned the difference the right pair of running shoes
makes, for performance as well as for health and comfort. In fact it has become routine that the first
thing I do when preparing for a race is go find that perfect pair of
shoes. Yet for my upcoming race many
people will go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Many will run with
no shoes at all. But this isn’t without
purpose. In fact it is for one of the
highest purposes possible, meeting the needs of others.
You see on October 4, 2014 I will be running in the Shoesfor Orphan Souls 5k put on by Buckner International. For 15 years Buckner International has been
collecting new pairs of shoes to take to areas around the world where they
serve. In that time they have provided
over 3 million shoes in 76 different countries. You can find out more about what they are accomplishing here.
Why does all of this matter? It matters for two reasons. The
number one reason being that there are people in the world who do not have
something as simple as shoes for their feet. And because of this they not only
live with all kinds of discomfort, but they also leave themselves exposed to
all kinds of diseases. This isn’t
right. And I am thankful that someone is
stepping up to do something about this and that I can be a part of that in some
small way.
But the other thing is that we need to be reminded of the
things we take for granted. Like I said,
my feet are blessed. But guess what, yours are too. Whether you get a pedicure
every week or wear sandals all the time your feet and in turn you are
blessed. Too often we take for granted
the little blessings in life or even take on a woe is me attitude because we do
not have enough. For example, thinking we do not have the right amount or the
right kind of shoes. But instead we
should daily be thankful for how blessed we are in comparison to the world
around us, and look for ways to share our abundance so others can be blessed as
well. Instead of complaining and thinking of ourselves let’s look for ways to
care for others and meet their needs big and small. And donating a new pair of
shoes might just be the perfect way to start.
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