Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Cute Shoes

I saw the black, high-heel shoes in the store. So stylish. I tried them on--oh my goodness! They were way cute, way expensive, and way uncomfortable. Know what I did? I bought them anyway.

Cute wins out over cost and comfort any day, don't you agree?

Besides, my dear daughter-in-law said, " I think you should get them. They'll make you look taller."

Well, that's all I needed to hear. Because if you look taller, then you'll look smaller. Right? And everyone knows that thin is in.

Buying new shoes sounded like a good strategy to me.

I wore my way cute shoes to church the next day. I slipped them off before early service ended--my feet hurt already. I put them on during Sunday school since I teach a class. I took them off again as soon as I got into the car.

When I mentioned this little episode to my daughter-in-law, she said, "Oh, no problem. This is the kind of shoe that you have to break in."

Break in? Now, would that be like taming a wild horse? Looking back, I realize that I may have been more successful with a pair of horses than I was with these shoes.

Do you know how long it takes to "break in" a pair of two-inch, high arch, peek-a-boo-toe shoes by Liz?

A long time.

The shoes left red indentions on both feet, sometimes made my legs ache, and scraped the nail polish off of my big toe on my left foot. I'm serious.

But I had no intention of giving up on wearing those shoes. Because, remember, skinny is pretty; even if it's only an illusion.

And I so wanted to look pretty even if it hurt. Now, how crazy is that? Pretty crazy I'm thinking. And you are too, probably.

Imagine how silly I felt after studying these verses last week so that I could teach them on Sunday.

Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishble quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes ( 1 Peter 3: 3-4).

We're women. We want to look and to feel pretty. That's normal. Sometimes, though, we allow our culture to confuse us about the true definition of beauty.

According to today's culture we should strive to look like movie stars and super-skinny, super models.

However, God doesn't require these things. He defines beauty based on what we have in our heart. He looks for gentleness and sweetness and patience and love and compassion. These qualities are important to Him and make us beautiful in His eyes.

He doesn't place much value in our hairstyles, our clothes, or our jewelry.

But I still like to think that He smiles when we find a pair of way cute shoes!

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9 comments:

  1. This post was awesome. I gave up on cute shoes many years ago. I opt for comfort. I have not worn painful shoes in a long time...if the shoe does not fit(comfortably)these days...i don't buy it. thanks for sharing this today. I too believe he smiles when we find cute shoes.

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  2. Love it!! And you got them broken in, didn't you? Sometime I wonder if God feels that way about us...gotta break us in when we'd rather do it our way.

    Oh, and He totally is happy when we find a great new pair of shoes. I have to believe that!!

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  3. Loved this post. I haven't bought a pair of "cute" shoes in years. Oh, well maybe for my kiddos I have.

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  4. Oh, my...how convicting that you had to teach that verse! I've found that Easy Spirit and Naturalizer have gotten pretty cute. I can be comfy and not look like the old lady...kind of...

    :0)

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  5. Let me add another brand to Laura's list: Sofft. Cute and comfortable.

    Great post, Deb!

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  6. Oh Deb, I love adorable shoes. Unfortunately, my feet will no longer allow me to wear them. The clunky shoes I have to wear keep me comfy yet they aren't cute. I'm grateful God thinks I'm cute anyway. :-)

    Thanks so much for celebrating with me over at my blog. And girl, enjoy wearing those cute shoes for me!

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  7. Over the last year, I've been forced to confront a "stripping down" of my outward beauty. It's been a difficult confrontation, but it's also helped me to realize the importance of a beautiful "heart work"--an inward look at what's most important. I've had a lot of conversations with God along these lines; I've not always succeeded in making the switch from outward to inward, but I have been successful in understanding the difference.

    Doesn't mean I don't long for a pair of cute shoes; just means I have a better perspective.

    For the record, I bet you looked gorgeous in your 2 inch heels!

    peace~elaine

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  8. Wishing you the most wonderful weekend!
    Kate

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  9. I think God smiles too when we find a pair of 'waaaay cute' shoes. I haven't looked recently BUT your posts is encouraging me to go find a pair.

    Thanks for the permission!

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