Merry Christmas from cold and windy Wichita. I arrived on Sunday afternoon and stayed with Dave and Sally the first night before they left yesterday for Oklahoma City to be with their sons' families. I moved over to Scott and Karen's last night where we opened presents and participated in the annual Christmas viewing of The Hunger Games, which actually was pretty good. As always, Santa was good to me- I must have been on the nice list over the previous twelve months. St. Nick has a pretty thorough monitoring system!
When I got here, Sally asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I trotted out my usual answer; gift card from Jos A Bank or Barnes and Noble, etc. Sally would have none of it. She said it ought to be something fun. We kicked around a few ideas but she liked running shoes which I always need anyway. So right before they left for Oklahoma yesterday, and after lunch at Five Guys, the three of us headed to the shoe department at KOHLS. Since my recent boycott of Nike, my footwear choices have dwindled down to Adidas and New Balance, still very good choices. Sally quickly found several pairs of each and I proceeded to try them on. It boiled down to a pair of black Adidas with red stripes or a orange pair of Adidas with silver stripes. Since I'm pretty conservative in dress, I was leaning heavily towards the black pair because, well, if you wear orange shoes, people would notice and there are times I just want to blend in, even with something as seemingly as inconsequential as shoes. The black ones did not quite fit right and yet I was more than willing to take them. But Sally was insistent on the orange shoes, saying she liked them better- Dave agreed- and she finally talked me into taking what originally was my second choice. And you know, after we left KOHLS, I was very glad I went with the brighter shoes. I think I'm already attached to them! (Something else happened at the checkout counter while the shoes were being rung up- the best customer service ever from the young lady who waited on us! )
Sally is very important to me because she isn't afraid to nudge me into new directions in parts of my life. (I've penned previous blogs how she has changed my school wardrobe.) Sally will speak her mind with me and is never afraid to tell me what she thinks I need to hear BUT she is never pushy about it. Orange shoes may not seem like a big deal to you but it is to me. We often are surrounded by people who never voice an opinion or intervene in our lives even when opinions and interventions are in order. Sally loves me enough to risk my getting upset with her and I love her enough that I will always listen, even if I disagree or her input might make me uncomfortable. I tell my students we all need a Sally in our lives. The scriptures indicate the importance of someone who will take that role spiritually as well. It all depends on the relationship we have with the other person. I ought to let you know that Sally has already informed me that my next big shift will be buying a pair of jeans, a style of pants I have not worn in years. Oh well, I have time to prepare for that huge leap of faith which I'm sure I will take in my orange Adidas. You know what that old hymn says:
One step at a time, dear Savior.
Applicable quote of the day:
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
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