A few weeks ago, my mom bought me some new shoes, but I feel like the stories that involve shoes always end up bad. Not this story though..
Unlike Hocus Pocus when Max gets his shoes stolen from those bullies in the graveyard, or in Macklemore’s music video “Wings” when the little boy gets his new basketball shoes taken, this is a goood story about how I’ve come to realize shoes in a way represent LIFE.
NOw…. some of you that know me, may read that and think to yourself “Oh Dasia,,,, Here we go again— always making an analogy about something so inapplicable to our lives and turning it into something applicable. How? Your mind…? What the”
I get it people, in school – instead of learning algorithms and supply and demand curves, I sit in class and draw up a plan to evolve penguins into having afros and mohawks, or my friends and I dancing on rainbows made of cake icing. Not your typical gal. I get it. Since life with Christ I’ve unleashed the person I was always too afraid to be, causing my creative mind and innately loud personality to rise to the surface – to finally allow the person I’d been to afraid to be – become the NEW me.
I was so concerned as to what people thought of me. Pressures of society, always at high levels to promote “Be like your role model. Be skinny like this, or strong like this. Don’t eat this or do this, that’s unacceptable..” Thanks society!!! I went from the splatter paint, gaucho, sparkly jean wearing middle schooler, to “What could I wear to impress other people? To fit in?” Walking in the halls freshman and sophomore year thought to myself “if I could just look like that, or wear clothes like this, do my hair like that or, wear those shoes, then. Just then I’d finally make some friends, I could fit in, and people would like me” NO!! The Lord didn’t create YOu to resemble Taylor in your first period, or Jessie in your youth group, HE CREATED YOU TO BE YOU!!! Forget “Be like your role model” BE THE ROLE MODEL…… !!!!!! HE CREATED YOU!!!! To EXALT HIS SPIRIT THROUGH YOURS. Not to portray someone you’re not meant to be… You were meant to be authentic, unlike no other, one of a kind. you were meant to be YoU! and with that — shoes.
Shoes, No two shoes are made exactly the same. There’s always going to be different sizes, different shapes, to meet certain people’s feet type. ALWAYS DIFFERENT. But MY shoes, my brand new, white, no lace, slip on — Vans to be exact. I love them. WhOle HeArTedlY. They’re mine. They fit to my foot perfectly, they’re comfortable and match with EVERYTHING, even when they don’t match, they do. Close your eyes and just imagine opening up a brand new box of your favorite shoes, ever. The smell of the new rubber, I know you’re on cloud nine as of now, I am. Anyways, new shoes. You’d do anything to preserve the new shoes, to keep them tidy and clean, unlike your room, you want these to stay BRAND NEW. Sure, character, I love some goooood character in ALL things… but new shoes? I just spent $50 dollars on some new shoes — they better last at least a week or two before the inevitable dirtiness comes about.
That’s the mentality a lot of us find ourselves stuck in. Dirty shoes are bad shoes, they immediately need to be cleaned of that grass stain or they wouldn’t look the same, they wouldn’t hold the same value, they would no longer be presentable. Grab your magic eraser and try your hardest to get rid of that nasty dirt on the sole of your shoe or that scuff mark from the boy in your math class, and sometimes, Mr. Clean’s magic eraser works, but Mr. Clean’s magic eraser doesn’t prevent them from ever getting dirty again. Without knowing it, that’s how some of us view life.
In life, we are the shoes, and sin is the scuff mark. We mess up, we look over at our neighbors test in class because “Ms. Jones, #6 wasn’t on the study guide,” we lie to our parents, we take our sisters clothes without asking, we speak poorly of one another, we’re sinful. But we’re also, human. We weren’t made to be perfect. We are a white pair of vans with some little scuff marks and some full on cowboy boot footprints from Jeff Powell. (I still love ya dude) Some of us are super good at cleaning our shoes and avoiding the Jeff Powell’s of the world, at all costs, but sometimes it’s just not that easy. Sin is something that is inevitable, we make mistakes. We look to things and people that we feel we need to make us feel more full, but there’s no such thing that’ll completely patch up that little hole in our hearts. For some of us we go to parties because mom and dad are at home fighting, or mom and dad aren’t even home, we try to fit in by doing that thing with that person at the party, not because we LOVE it. But because it DISTRACTS us for a while. We always feel the need to be doing something, to take our mind off of someone, or something that pains us. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” and boy isn’t that true. We do. I do. Think of it like this – if God had to choose between you and the pope, who’d he pick?
Go on- say it. Out loud.
No. really say it —
I bet you just said or thought, for those of you in a library as am I, “the Pope.” well party people, i’m here to tell you “the Pope” is wrong.
He wouldn’t choose. Because He already chose. His own son. He sent down His son to take on human flesh and blood, to show mankind what it looked like to follow the Lord, and then that same perfect & holy son gave His life for you and I.
He chose His son, for US. YOU AND ME!! THE POPE, JUSTIN BIEBER, JESSICA IN MATH, AND DAVID IN BIOLOGY. He knew we’d fall short, He knew we’d fail Him, HE KNEW. And, what do we do??? WE STILL FALL SHORT & let him down, day in and day out. We talk about people, we make the wrong decision, we lie, big and small, we do. BUT HE STILL CHOSE US PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!
I’m a scuffed up, grass stained, smelly slip on pair of size 7 white Vans. But aside from that – I am loved, and I am cherished, and I was put on this planet to fulfill a purpose. And guess what, so are you.
Shoes, they get you places, they protect your little toes, and sometimes – most times I’m not wearing shoes, but all of the time I love those shoes. Just like He loves us.
He chose you busted birkenstocks!! Or you, run down Nike’s!!!
HE CHOSE US! All of us, to reside on this planet earth, to fulfill a purpose.
So, What’s your purpose? Deep… I know.
Some of you may not even know your purpose right now and that’s totally fine. But I’m grateful. I’m grateful because this is MY purpose. World Race Gap Year. 5 countries in 9 months. All out of a backpack with 55 strangers and some of them, i’ve never ever met. Thats pretty out there, when I tell people, some people, that is; they look at me as if I had 5 heads!!!!! “Thats a long time.” or the “Arent you going to miss your family?” and there’s always the “Well what are your plans after this? College?” and the unfailing jaw drop at “oh yeah, its 15,000 dollars”
Yes, it’s a long time. I’ll miss my family and friends. So. Much. $15,000 is A LOT of money for a 17 year old gal. But one glance at Philippians 4:19 “God will provide” and that He will. He’s pressed this on my heart, it’s something I’m passionate to do and no amount of money will stop me from that. As for after? I have no clue. I know this trip is going to provide me with so much perspective, and I’ll gain real life experience. Honestly, wherever the big man takes me, I’ll go. With fresh eyes, and an open heart. Simple as that.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE–
Dominican Republic is where I’m headed first, in 5 short months!!!!!!! and like I said, $15,000 is a ton of money for a gal that counts quarters in order to get some gas money together. SO, I need your help!! I pray that the Lord convicts you to donate to this incredible dream of mine. ANy amount. I mean ANY. I’d be grateful for a whopping $10. Really. Whatever you feel is right, I have a deadline coming up; $5,000 by June 15th! We can do this people!! Im coming up with some shirts here soon as well as some threads of hope bracelets for sale!! Shoot me an email or message on anything you can help with. I’m grateful for all of you that have contributed to me so far as well as those of you that have been praying over my team and I as we get closer and closer to training camp. Ever so grateful for each and one of you.
Thank you so much for reading this, i mEAN it. Have a stellar day!!
xx dasia olivares
