Peace

I have a secret to tell you.

Don't worry. I got permission from my mom and my brother-in-law before I even considered revealing this to you since it is about my sister.

Most people thought my sister was pretty close to perfect.  We all know that no one is actually perfect.  But it is believed, especially by her husband, that she was as close as one could get.  She was beautiful, sophisticated, kind, took great care of herself and always knew the right thing to say in any situation. But she had a flaw that only those closest to her could sense. Only her husband knew the severity.

She was addicted ............

???????


To SHOES.






I don't mean a little addicted.  I also do not mean addicted to just any shoes.  She was addicted to very expensive shoes.  Her shoe collection had great value.




She would keep them in their original boxes and stack them on the higher shelves of her walk-in closet.  They were stacked all the way to the ceiling.  I cannot begin to tell you the number of times she would mail me a box full of expensive boots and shoes because she was out of room to store them.  Fortunately for me, we had the same size feet.


When we cleaned out her closet last spring, I counted 79 boxes of shoes and boots.  This did not include the ones that were not in boxes because they were in her regular shoe rotation on the floor/bottom shelf of her closet.

It was fitting to laugh with my family about her secret shoe addiction because the day she went to heaven, was the first time I understood the saying "Peace Shoes".  I had experienced peace in the middle of hard circumstances. But, I never equated it with "Peace Shoes".

If you have not heard this saying, it refers to a writing of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians.  He describes different pieces of armor the believers should "put on", so they can stand against evil.

"For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared."
Eph. 6:15 NLT

Well, that sounds very nice.

But seriously?

How do I do that?"

I have been thinking about how I could explain my experience with "Peace Shoes" for several months, even before I found out about my sister's shoe issues.

I spoke with a pretty famous pastor about it when I was in Chicago in the winter.  He is a brilliant man, has authored over 30 books, had three radio broadcasts, and was the pastor of a well known church for over 30 years.  He is a pretty big deal in the pastor-world.
 
We briefly discussed the meaning of "having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."  Well, he discussed….. He spoke King James Version. So, I was always a few steps behind in the wisdom he was imparting to me.
     
Who uses the word "shod"?

I know we talked about the shoes Roman soldiers wore in the first century.  They had spikes on the bottom to keep the soldiers from slipping when they needed to stand firm in battle.



 I don't remember the other things we discussed until he caught me later in the afternoon.
He told me the foot gear needed to be “practical”.

Whoa - whoa - whoa

At this comment, he began to lose me.  He is a brilliant man but clearly not focused on women as his primary audience.

I was able to focus back in when he said, "Look at that young woman over there with the high heeled boots. That cannot be comfortable.  Those are not the kind of shoes you wear for battle."

Here is what he did not know:  The "young woman" was my daughter.  The "high heeled boots" were mine.  They were very cute with her dress and surprisingly comfortable.
He also did not know that I was in prayer ministry.  So, if he was talking about a spiritual “battle” that involved prayer, there is a good chance I had been wearing those exact shoes.


These are the boots.  I wore them to Moms in Prayer this morning 
and had my friend, Kim, take a picture to show you. 


Ok, I would not want to hike in them.  But I also would not use the phrase "practical shoes" to an audience of women, perhaps "comfortable" would be a better word. Practical evokes images of ugly shoes.

Peace Shoes are anything but ugly.

There have been a handful of times (maybe closer to two hands full) when my husband and I have faced situations that most would consider tragic or at least extremely difficult.  It is in those times I was keenly aware of the peace I had.  It amazes me that I can get so irritated about stupid things that don't matter in my everyday life, but when faced with extreme circumstances, I have extreme peace.

Why?

In my everyday life, my mind wanders back to the illusion of control or the thought that everyone should be polite and considerate.  In extreme circumstances my mind wanders to the only One who truly understands what I am feeling, the only One who can truly help.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.
Isaiah 26:3

That's it!! I put on my "Peace Shoes" with trust in the Truth.

I had experienced this peace. But did not realize, I had been wearing my Peace Shoes all along.

Ephesians said the shoes are the peace that comes from the Good News.

So what IS the Good News?
- The One true God of the universe absolutely loves you.
- He knows everything you have ever done, or even thought (Ouch).
- So, He sent his son, Jesus, to take the consequence of your wrong doing (death/separation from God).
- All He asks you to do is believe Him.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 NLT


And. Here is more Good News :

You can believe God, not just for your security after death, but for the details of your life right now.

Putting your trust in anything else will leave you empty in the long run.

So, when you put on your shoes today, remember, you already own a pair of “Peace Shoes”.


Never Forget the Truth,
If you believe the Good News, perfect peace belongs to you.

Walk in it.