Re-lace Anyone?

The other Saturday, I had just returned from having Coffee and shopping with my wife and first- born, when the phone rang. It was from our Pastor, wanting to know what my shoe size was. So I told him thinking that he must have come across some shoes from somewhere to pass on to people who need them.

I don’t truly fit that category but I do have a worn out pair that I wear all the time around the house because they are so comfortable and sometimes I forget to change them before I go visiting.

Now when it comes to shoe size, I have a bit of a problem, because my shoe size is either a large 10 or a small 11 , and I never know which is which until I try them on.

Any way later in the afternoon, much to my surprise, Pastor and his first-born son “Rock up” with a brand spanking new pair of very comfortable and rather expensive looking shoes.

When asked why, I was told, “For services rendered in his place while away recently.” Well apart from preaching, I’m not to sure what those services were, other than what I would normally do as Pastoral Elder.

Anyway, I gratefully, if somewhat inwardly embarrassed, accepted this kind gift. I don’t normally buy half size shoes as they are not longer but wider across the foot, but they arrived with a size 10 ½. It was long enough, but despite its supposed extra width, a little tight across the foot, but I figured it would stretch a bit eventually.

As he was leaving Pastor did say that if they were not the right size, all I had to do was to take them and a card he gave me, back to Footlocker and they would properly measure my foot and change them for the right size.

Initially I wasn’t going to do that but thought that as they are rather expensive shoes, it might be wise to do it properly than take the chance of ruining or simply shortening their otherwise normal useful life, not to mention any possible damage to my feet, simply by my laziness or indifference.

So I asked my two oldest, who were surprisingly both home at the time, where Footlocker was in our local Shopping Centre.

First-born gave me one set of directions only to be corrected by second-born. As he was so adamant, I took his advice. Was he wrong? You decide. When I went where he directed I found a Shoe store alright but it was Athlete’s Foot. So I walk past there and follow first-born’s directions to Footlocker and it was where she said it was. The only problem was that the shoes weren’t theirs but Athlete’s Foot’s, so I had to go back there and change them.

At Athlete’s Feet, I got a very helpful young lady who, when I told her my situation, made me put them on and checked them for length. Seeing that was right she then turned to the problem of tightness across the width. She brightly said, “I will simply re-lace them” And she did! And the problem of tightness was solved! Simply by re-lacing the laces a different way, to shift the point of stress more evenly!

Is it not truly amazing sometimes, the difference a little thing, like changing the way you lace your shoes, can make to the whole scheme of things? Not only are they now more comfortable, but they should also last longer with proper use. And not cause any problems for my feet!

I also note here the importance of passing on the correct information. In this case it didn’t make that much difference that I went to the wrong shop first, but in other cases it may. Actually Shoes and Shoe Shops are not high on my list of priorities thus, although a regular at that Shopping Centre I never realized that there were so many shoe shops there, until I passed by quite a few of them looking for the one(s) I wanted.

Now was my son right with his initial directions. Well The Shoe Store I did really want was where he said it was but his directions were for Footlocker and not Athlete’s Foot, whilst First-borns directions were indeed correct and I did find Footlocker where she said it was, even if it turned out that Footlocker was not the one I really needed.

So now I not only have a new comfortable pair of shoes but a pair that properly fit, because I took the extra trouble to go and get expert advice. The fact that the advice was so simple, is irrelevant. If I had not gone to the trouble of going back to the Shopping Centre before wearing the shoes, I would not have got the full benefits out of this kind and generous Gift?

What about you? Are you getting the best out of everything around you, by either seeking out or accepting the professional advise that is out there? Or are you accepting second, or even third best because you can’t be bothered making the effort to accept what is already there?

Likewise are you careful with the directions that you are passing on? (I am not criticizing here but rather challenging myself as I know I am sometimes guilty as charged in this area.) Walter.