Pile of Shoes

Every time we gather for Roar Church in Chifubu, there is a pile of shoes at the front door. Big ones, tiny ones, and every color imaginable.  You have to navigate them as you enter, tiptoe through them, and sometimes all but pole-vault over them just to get inside.  And it is wonderful.  Each pair represents a special and unique young life. Seeing that pile always makes me smile and it always humbles me too.  
Those shoes and tropicals, crocs and slides are a reminder of the great honor and privilege it is to serve others, and to share life together!  

Our time here on earth is fleeting.  Our legacy lies in the lives we share.  Our most lasting legacy is found in the pile of shoes at the door!  Each life is a treasure trove of potential, uniqueness, and God’s own image.  Every one of them worthy of the precious blood of Jesus.  

The Apostle Paul had a deep love for the churches he planted and the people he shared life with in the process.  To the believers in Thessaloniki, Greece, he wrote,

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” - 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭(NIV). 

The Message translations says “we wanted to give you our hearts.  And we did!”

Today, I feel so incredibly grateful as I think about the lives at that house in Chifubu, the lives here in my own home, and the lives all around the world that God has allowed me to share my heart and life with.

Lions, take a moment today and say a prayer of gratitude for the people who have shared their lives with you and those you have the opportunity to pour some love on, in return!  Or better yet, gather together somewhere, leave your pile of shoes at the door, and share a meal, share some time, share your life!

A Lion’s legacy is measured in shared lives!