Old Man Shoes

Old Man Shoes. 

You know the ones that I'm talking about. Thick soled, velcro, and made strictly for comfort, not fashion. The kind of shoes that you would not be caught dead in unless you are over the age of 65 or have medical conditions and they are just plain needed. They are made only for comfort and support, not to finish your outfit for the night. We tell ourselves growing up that we would "never be caught dead" in them. 

However, inevitably, the day comes at some point where we realize the true form of these beauties become a reality and we come to understand that we have been wrong all these years. Often times we realize that years of our "know it all" mindset of fashion vs. comfort abuse on our feet has led us to the very day of wearing those "old man shoes". 

And all of the sudden, just like that...life is better. We are not in pain. We are finally doing what is right for our body. And the worlds view of "what is right" has fallen to the way side. 

We are where we need to be. 

Older. Wiser. and rightfully comfortable in our "old man shoes". 

Sometimes I feel that this is how we, how I, treat my worth. 

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." -Psalms 139:13-16

That's a pretty bold statement of truth about what we are worth. 

We get comfortable, but we get comfortable in fashion rather than favor. We so often allow the vision of who we are and what we are worth to be clouded either by our own misconceptions of God and ourselves or we allow other peoples decisions affect the decisions we make. 

I was fathers translates to unhealthy relationships.

Friendship drama translates to unkindness. 

Growing up poor translates to needing material things in life. 

Unhealthy relationship translates to bad choices and mistrust. 

Bullying translates to self image issues. 

...and the list goes on. 

We allow our mind to be shaped by circumstances rather than truth, and so we begin our journey of completely forgetting our worth. We put on the things that "look good" on the outside and make us feel good about ourselves. We rely on those things to tell us who we are and we go years and year trying to convince ourselves that we are "alright" or "happy". But really, we are sick and dying inside. 

Sometimes we live that way until our broken and worn souls realize what it really needs. 

Old Man Shoes. 

You see, you and I were made for those "old man shoes" from day one. Where true comfort is found in the foundation that helps support, shape, and mold us to walk strong, steady, and straight. 

The Lord. My old man shoes. 

To come to the place where we understand that our real worth is found in him alone. Where it doesn't matter what people think about you or how good you look. Where money doesn't matter and you realize that there will never be a love like this in the world. 

Where the things of the world fade away and the only thing that remains is you. 

And YOU are enough. 

That is true worth. 

A friend posted this recently on Facebook and it has challenged me to understand that things that speak love are things worth allowing to shape my worth. 

"Love. We cannot live unaffected by it. We are most alive when we find it, most devastated when we lose it, most inhumane when we give up on it. We are told it is elusive, that it evades us, that it is conditional. We are told it can be found in lust and meaningless sex but those over and over again just leave us wanting. And so we come to the conclusion that love is inane and mythological. That it is just the sum total of our biological make up. Yet it still remains, in our gut...in our souls...A craving."

WOW! I have some wise friends! (Thanks Mitch!)

The more I have read this over the last week or so, the more and more I have realized that love and worth go hand in hand. I believe that we allow our worth to be found in the things and people we love. Or that we think love us. 

Read this again, replacing the word "love" with "worth". 

"Worth. We cannot live unaffected by it. We are most alive when we find it, most devastated when we lose it, most inhumane when we give up on it. We are told it is elusive, that it evades us, that it is conditional. We are told it can be found in lust and meaningless sex but those over and over again just leave us wanting. And so we come to the conclusion that worth is inane and mythological. That it is just the sum total of our biological make up. Yet it still remains, in our gut...in our souls...A craving."

Again. Wow. 

It is true. We crave love. We crave worth. And we allow one to shape the other. What/who we love will shape our worth. And how we view our worth will drive what/who/and how we love. 

if what you put your worth in held a mirror in front of you...would it judge you and demand change? or would it love you into your true potential. 

If we fully understood what we are worth in the eyes of God, the potential we would live out and the happiness we would experience would truly be beyond what we would ever be able to think or imagine. 

We would live better, be better, and love better. 

WE would be enough. 

Reflect on the things/people in your life. And consider the impact they have or have had. 

Are they worth your worth?

Are they old man shoes?