My daughter, Bethany, is 3 years old and she’s already wearing me out with her wardrobe. She has an opinion for every piece of clothing, even her preference for pajamas!
“Daddy, I want these and not those; just one pigtail and not two. Do a purple bow and not that pink one.”
Ugh.
So you could imagine my frustration when she recently came in clopping around in a pair of shoes that were different from the ones I dressed her in. When I asked her why she changed, she said she didn’t “like” the other ones and the pair she switched to were “better,” while conveniently overlooking the fact that they didn’t match her outfit whatsoever. After a few frustrating minutes of going back and forth, it occurred to me that the shoes I dressed her in were too small and were pushing Bethany’s toes against the tip of the shoe.
I know, I know. You don’t have to say it: Dad of the year right year. I went from perturbed to apologetic really quickly.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not dense about a child’s changing anatomy; I was just stunned over how rapid that change occurs at certain stages and how uncomfortable it must be when you try to fit new growth into old forms that can no longer accommodate or contain it. Can you relate?
What’s true of a sole also applies to the soul, you know. In other words, physical realities have spiritual applications. As a dad, I know what it’s like to try and haplessly stuff ever-expanding feet into shoes that won’t fit. As a disciple, I know what it’s like to try and cram a growing faith into an old life that crowds it out. The former is uncomfortable; the latter can be excruciating. Can you relate?
This notion permeates Luke 5: The Gospel records Jesus saying, “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh containers” (v.36-38). Did you catch it? How foolish it is to try and put new content in an old container! To take something new and place it into an environment that lacks the flexibility to receive it is to risk wasting the new and ruining whatever’s left.
Whether we’re discussing feet or faith, a marriage or a mindset—it matters not. How can we expect legitimate growth of any kind if we’re content to keep those things confined to old forms? And if that’s the case, why should we be surprised when living like that becomes so…uncomfortable? Rather than let the pain serve as a prompt to make certain changes and therefore walk differently, we process the pain as an excuse to stop taking steps altogether. If we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got….unless, of course, we’re resolved to do otherwise. I refuse to receive the gift of a new year, treating it the same old way. How about you? Hey, if the shoe doesn’t fit….
Resolved to Walk Differently,
Pastor Jake