Wear Your Own Shoes

Wear Your Own Shoes
 
Recently I heard a touching story about a young man who battled strong feelings of insecurity.  His father had pastored a growing church for many years.   The young man learned a lot under his father’s leadership.  He even enjoyed his own small successes as the congregation’s youth pastor.

He did not feel one bit ready, however, to take the Lead Pastor’s role when his father lost a short battle with cancer.  The young man wondered what would happen to the church, school, staff, outreach ministries, and more.  He feared the worst.  He felt tremendous pressure to live up to his father’s legacy.

The young man’s mother gave him a pair of his father’s shoes as a gift to help him remember his dad.  The young man didn’t just hold on to the shoes, but he decided to wear them as well.  The shoes became a symbol to him that he needed to be like his father.  He began to talk like his dad, lead like his dad, and even act like his dad.  But his efforts did not turn out well.  The young man simply did not fit into his father’s shoes.

Finally one day, a compassionate staff member at the church came up to the young man and gently told him, “You need to wear your own shoes, Paul.  God has prepared you for this moment.  Trust Him.”  These were exactly the words this young man (pastor) needed to hear.  He didn’t need to wear his dad’s shoes.  He didn’t need to speak his dad’s words or dream his dad’s dreams.  The Truth was that our Heavenly Father had given this young pastor his own purpose and ministry.

God, our Heavenly Father, has a beautiful plan laid out for your life as well.  You don’t need to be a mirror image of anyone else.  You don’t need to fit into anyone else’s shoes.  Simply wear your own shoes and enjoy the journey the Lord has prepared for you.  Trust Him.  He will walk with you every step of the way.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  
                                     Jeremiah 29:11

God’s Blessings,
Tammy