I can remember my dad telling me about putting cardboard in the bottom of his Converse high-tops to make them last as long as possible. I want to say he had saved up and bought a pair of Chuck Taylor All-Stars, but that might have just been wishful thinking.
I also recall him telling me that Papa Jerry rigged a backboard and goal outside so he could play when he got home before the sun went down. Dad loved to play basketball. But the shoes.
Nanny and Papa couldn’t keep up with the wear and tear Dad put on his sneakers – whatever pair he got at the beginning of the school year was intended to last the entire school year, so he had to get creative. He would trace his shoe, cut accordingly, and place the cardboard inside so they would last just that much longer. Then it was back outside and back to work.
This morning is the first of a three-week series of messages intended to prepare us for our journey through the book of James this fall, a journey we’ll begin on Sunday, September 15. “Shoe-leather Christianity” is a phrase a pastor friend of mine uses when he discusses the Book of James. The idea is that when we are serious about our faith and our love for Christ, we not only “talk the talk,” but we also “walk the walk.”
I believe D.L. Moody – shoe salesman turned evangelist – said,
“Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather.”
In other words, the truth and power of our Christian faith cannot remain just words on the pages of our Bibles; they should be lived out on our two feet.
Dad never played for his beloved Celtics, but the drive and determination he put into those shoes translated into other areas of his life, namely his walk with the Lord, his investment in his family, and his love for the local church and making disciples for Jesus wherever he could.
Lace ‘em up, Church Family (or slip ‘em on… I know it’s Florida, sandals and all).
Time to get to work!