Yep, bright yellow shoes. I know this is a weird one, but there is a story. There is always a story. Our squad just finished up debrief. Those of you who do not know what is debrief, it is a time the squad comes together to process where we are at, how our race is doing, and just refill together. Our coach challenged us this debrief and asked us the first day, “what does God want from debrief”? While this is a time for recharging and growing, ultimately 37 Holy Spirit filled people just walked into Makati and that has power. So I spent some time with the Lord and asked Him, I drew a pump (like a high heel shoe) and next to it I wrote yellow shoes. Okay, yellow shoes. Well, I don’t know what that means, but I’m on the hunt for some yellow shoes.
So after session the first night, I grabbed two more racers and walk around the block. Tired and no signs of yellow shoes we head back to the hostel. I think to myself, this is just the first night. I’ll be back tomorrow. The next night comes and I’m still tired, but I felt like God was asking me to show up and look for yellow shoes. This time I had two of my team (my group of 6) come with me. We did not see yellow shoes, but as we were walking we ran into some street kids who were asking for money. I told them no and then she proceeded to ask for some food. There was a seven eleven near by (PS they’re everywhere in Asia) and I grabbed her a quick microwave breakfast food and some juice. My two team-mates follow suit. I ask if there is somewhere we can talk as she eats and we walk across the street and sit down together, with another girl and my two team mates. Let’s call her MJ. MJ hung out on the street, which is actually the red light district part of town. She was around 12 years old and her mother was at a ‘Commentary’ working. There were some language barriers. We sat and talked and mostly just asked questions about her life and what she liked while she and her friend ate. We asked them if they knew Jesus, they said they knew Him… After that we really hit a wall, spiritually and linguistically. I told them Jesus loved them and we finished up our night. Still there was no yellow shoes.
Next night, I need a break. I was processing through what the Lord was teaching me and after some longer evening was feeling very tapped out. As I was learning to hear God’s voice and go deeper with Him, I felt like there was a block. Which honestly I believe comes when we start to gain more freedom in an area.
Next day, our final day at debrief, half our squad is now on the look out for ‘yellow shoes’. I go out with some different girls this evening, we are a mission to make some cookies. A different direction this evening. Also, I was wanting to see this ‘create a cookie’ shop. I look, I look, I even think maybe here at the mall. Around 11:30ish, no yellow shoes and I call it a night as we walk back to the hostel to prepare for our 7am departure the next day.
Okay… I know you’re waiting, who is ‘yellow shoes’. I don’t know, what I do know is that ‘yellow shoes’ helped me go deeper with the Lord. It pushed me out to go look for Him on the streets of Manila. I know that it inspired my team members and broke through some walls in my life. It helped create a moment with a girl hanging out on the street and ultimately I don’t believe my search for yellow shoes is over. I really don’t, maybe it’s you! If it is, know that God loves you so much to send someone out into the streets of Manila to look for you, to pray for you, to let you know that you are loved. Ultimately God uses His children to encourage one another, but some times we have to be willing to show up and search for the one He is leading us to.
