Walking The Line

There was a wedding approaching and I for one, could not miss it. Clothes, hairstylist, accessories, make-up artist were already in tow- only one thing left to be determined- my shoes. I desperately needed a pair. Now, my friends and I were close knit; or as some would say, birds of a feather. So close, that even our shoe sizes were (almost all) identical. So, there had to have been a pair that I could use from theirs…. After all, the last thing I wanted was to pay for my own pair when there could be one I could borrow! (After all, this girl’s gotta be cost efficient).

Ouch!

That’s the feeling I felt when I walked in their shoes. Joya’s taste in shoes far different from mine; Kristen’s shoes slant inwardly as she tends to walk the same way- leaving no room for my balance; Darla walks on her toes and wearing her shoes is like walking in Kristen’s- only all cardinals (and problems) point north.

I had to harshly realize (and accept) that I needed my own pair- and quick! I was due to make my grand entrance at this wedding!

And so…. Off shopping I went…. into a couple stores and you would not believe the variety that I saw before me. The colors; styles; labels; heights! Oh my! If I could take then all I would. Man, I felt like a child surrounded by candy- talk about sugar rush!

Now time for fittings and the following is a verdict on some fitted pairs:

i.        Too tall- couldn’t even take two steps without “tripping”

ii.      Too short- couldn’t fully support the arch of my feet

iii.    Others- let’s just say the costs were enough to turn my like for the shoe into a dislike.

With that, I forcibly narrowed down search to using two components:

a.       The price and

b.      Which pair fits perfectly (the key deciding factor)

But either way, I had to keep searching until I found that which was made for me.

“Where is she going with all this?” you may ask. Well the answer (using reference to the above) is quite simple yet deeper than its mere appearance:

“In your journey (marriage) with Christ, embrace your process.”

Embracing your process means getting comfortable or accepting your curves- flaws, weaknesses and more importantly- your uniqueness. Walking the road entails finding the right pair of shoes (identity) for the journey (process); one that will take you through to the end (endurance) with minimal or no detours (shortcuts).

Unveiling your identity in Christ is by no means, a walk in the park. You may sometimes experience selfish desires entangled with God’s will for your life; to the point where you may try to pursue your own paths- only to turn up with a dead-end. Sometimes, it gets so bad that you begin to live your life through others’ lives- becoming envious of their success especially in that which you experienced failure (trying on others’ shoes).

But here’s my encouragement to you:

Just like the time you realized that your friend’s shoes did not fit and you subsequently became motivated to find your own pair…. be motivated to discover your own identity. The search may be lengthy, but you will eventually find that which is undeniably yours. And when you do find the pair that fits, you will not regret the journey you took to discovering your “perfect shoes” (Identity in Christ).

Food for Thought

Did you ever consider the costs you would have to pay to walk in someone else's shoes? What may have seemed easy for one in not necessarily the same for another. What if I had ignored my instinct (Holy Spirit’s counsel), went ahead and borrowed Darla or Kristen’s shoes- or- bought the shoes with heels that were knowingly too tall? Maybe a twisted ankle or broken leg and insurmountable doctor’s bills (far exceeding the cost of finding an appropriate pair) would be the result! All because I was attempting to lower costs and avoid the process of finding MY OWN. Think about it: IS IT WORTH IT?