When you were young, do you remember trying on grown-up shoes? I'll never forget dropping my small foot into my father's humongous fishing boots. My foot swam in them and slipped as I struggled to slide one foot in front of the other across the living room carpet. I didn't get very far, as I realized my father's shoes were ones that couldn't be filled.   

Years later, when I was grown, that didn't change. Even if I could have fit in my father's shoes, they were still too big. Plus, they were his shoes, not mine. I wanted to be like him, but as much as I tried, I was still "me." My father was extremely intelligent and gifted with a genius I.Q. I'd been adopted, so I would never possess his kind of intelligence.    

But there was more to my father than being a brilliant scientist. He had a great reverence for life, felt deeply, and was a vastly creative carpenter and artist. He could talk about any subject and possessed a most sensitive and philosophic soul. In later years, he became rooted in his faith in God.   

My father passed away too soon--at 71. My mother and I had the sad task of going through the closet to box up his clothing and shoes for donation. Those empty shoes could not be filled--at least not by me or the family. My father wasn't perfect, but he was perfect in our eyes.   

In the history of the world, there is only one perfect set of footsteps--the ones that belonged to Jesus Christ. His were the footsteps that made the arduous journey to the cross where He died to save us from the sin of all mankind.    

No one can fill the shoes (or sandals) of the Savior; however, Jesus has lovingly reached out, inviting us, encouraging us, to follow in His footsteps as He guides us on this path called life.    
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"Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen."  - Psalm 77:19  
"I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. When you walk, you won't be held back; when you run, you won't stumble."  - Proverbs 4:11-12 

Photo: N. Johnson
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"Let's get rid of this old end table," I exclaimed, crouching to make my point. "We've had this since we were first married. It doesn't match anything, the back leg is cracked, and the scratches look awful."   
       
My husband raised his eyebrows. I knew what he was going to say. We couldn't afford to buy a new one.  

I was tired of living with broken furnishings.

I opted to stack books and magazines on top of the table to disguise the scratches.   
 
One evening, I plopped down wearily onto the sofa (which sported a broken zipper on the back of a cushion) and reached for my Bible from the stack of reading material. The following verse caught my eye:  
  
2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'   

The words struck a chord. I'd been selfish, upset about a piece of furniture. I'd neglected to look into my  heart. My faith was as weak and broken as that table leg. 

But God's grace is sufficient.  
 
Living with broken furnishings isn't such a bad thing.  Things can be repaired--or eventually replaced. But what about the furnishings of my heart? Had I filled the room of my heart with love, care, compassion, and decorated it with the presence of Jesus?                  

I thanked my husband for fixing the broken table leg.  And I thanked God for furnishing me with the gift of His forgiveness. It was Jesus' brokenness on the cross that paid for my sins. 
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P.S. - Thirty years later, we let the end table go. It had served us well, even though I'd grumbled about it. Funny thing is, despite the cracked and repaired leg, it turned out to be one of the most sturdy tables we'd ever owned.      

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
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