18 Jul, 2007
A heinous synthetic shoe has conquered the world.
Fans will tell you, Crocs aren't just footwear; they're the closest thing to religion that the foot has experienced. The company's stock has skyrocketed in value over the past year, and Crocs is now poised to launch a new product line this fall. Yet Crocs are heinous in appearance.
A first-time Crocs wearer will indeed find that the shoes are springy and light, as their fans aver, and cushion the feet with what some have called a "marshmallow fluffiness." On a muggy New York day, the holes punched in the toe box allow for a soothing breeze to cool the sweating foot. Even so, the ratio of shame to comfort was extreme. When everyone else on the avenue is garbed in proper footwear—even something as unpretentious as flat sandals or ballet flats—an adult, it seemed to me, must blush at the sight of her bulbous feet. But those who wear Crocs all day long swear that the springy material holds up like nothing else; one painter reported that his chronic shin splints disappeared after he began wearing Crocs. Crocs make you look absurd, but they can change your life.
photo courtesy images.google.com & story slate.com, 7/13/07
These shoes are a Croc!
Romans 10:14-17 (NLT)
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about God's idea of how to make feet look beautiful?
We won't all agree on Crocs, but God will give us a heavenly reward for wearing out shoes that bring the "GOOD NEWS" of Jesus Christ to a spiritually lost world.
Here in Romans, Paul is borrowing a quotation from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Originally, the "beautiful feet" described those who would bring good news to the Jewish people of their release from captivity in Babylon.
Paul is applying it to believers who bring the good news of freedom from being a prisoner to sin.
Some questions for us to think about...
... How will your friends at school, your family members, your neighborhood, and your fellow employees learn the "GOOD NEWS" unless someone tells them?
...What keeps you from putting on God's messenger shoes and getting the "GOOD NEWS" to people in your community?
...Who is one person you know who needs to hear the "GOOD NEWS" and what is something you could do to help him or her hear it?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God for using someone in your life to bring you the "GOOD NEWS". Ask His Holy Spirit to give you the compassion and courage you need to be God's messenger to someone else. Take a moment right now and ask Him to put the name and face of that person in your mind and on your heart. Thank Him that your role is not to save souls, but simply to wear out your "soles" in bringing the love of Jesus to your world.
- Write out your answers to the questions in the godsstory section above and keep it where you will be reminded to take action.
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to others?
Whenever you wear or see someone wearing Crocs, let Jesus remind you:
- Crocs are conquering the world, but you can be part of conquering the world, one person at a time, by having beautiful feet that bring God's Story to lost people.
- Crocs are comfortable, but wearing "Good News" shoes is often uncomfortable.
- Crocs make you look absurd, but they can change your life. Your friends and family who need Jesus may not find your feet "beautiful" at first, but connecting your story and God's Story to their story will change their lives forever!
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