A Dilemma Over Shoes

The cultural adjustment continues as I learn to navigate the road of requests and needs presented to me daily. I have never had anyone ask me for shoes before until coming to India. Even the poor in American have decent shoes most of the time.  Here, weekly I am presented with the dilemma of children and workers asking me for shoes. My heart throbs as they ask.  I want to give each one new shoes. I see their need even when they don’t ask.  I see their bare feet in the cold 30 degree weather. I see their toes peeking out of the holes in their shoes.

My heart throbs and I cry out, “Father, I don’t know what to do? I can’t afford shoes for each person that comes to my door. If I give to one boy, what about the other 5 boys  that he walks with each day?  What about his family back home who also need shoes. What about the village he returns to.  What should I do?”

I am reminded of the verses the big book has to say about giving.  It is better to give than to receive; to treat others as yourself; to look at one another as your brother or sister; to think and act as the Son; to give out of what you don’t have to prove your love to Dad.

I felt the Father ask me, “If it were your son who needed shoes, what would you do?”  If my son asked me for shoes, I would make a way.  If it were my sister in need, I would hope someone would have compassion and help her. If it were me, coming to the door of a “rich American” and I saw all they had inside their home, their warm fire, their needs met, their shoe collection, I would expect them to give as well. And in this way, I felt the check of the Spirit. I felt his voice say, “Give until you can’t”. “Give until giving is not possible.”


It is true, I can’t put shoes on every person’s feet, but as people ask I can give what I can in that moment.  I can give even when it hurts.  I can give in faith, trusting Dad to provide. I can give this time, and hope next time I can as well. I can give until I can’t give anymore, and at that point, I can say no and ask Dad to help them.  But at this point, I can say yes. I can give today. I can give and trust Dad to meet the needs of the other 5 boys, of the need’s of the boy’s family, of the village back home. Today, I  can give.  Today, when the boy asks for new shoes, I will say yes.

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