| THE SNEAKERS |
God loves children – He really does! I remember when my son Josh was in elementary school and playing on a
Boy’s Club basketball team. He came home one day in a total tizzy.
It seems a friend of his had gotten the latest basketball shoes. I believe they were called Air Jordan’s – they
pumped up! They cost $150 (the boy told everyone, thankyouverymuch). So Josh wanted a pair to play in.
I explained that $150 was a lot for a pair of shoes he’d only wear a few months and then outgrow. We talked
about using wisdom with our money.
So he decided he would pay for half of them. He explained that I could take it out of his savings. He really,
really wanted these cool basketball shoes. He also decided that he would play better if he had those pump
shoes. He just knew they were supposed to make you play better – why? Because it said so on TV!
I explained that only practice would make him play better. Shoes are shoes. It's what's in the shoes that
counts. I knew he wanted to be cool, but I sure didn’t have the money and personally, didn’t think he should
waste his money on those shoes (but I didn’t tell him that)
I did tell him that if he really wanted to pay for half of them, then it was his choice. We used the scripture in
James 1:5 and asked God for wisdom and I asked him to pray about it.
So we knew that when he went with his gram to the shoe store the next day, we knew he would make good
choices. I also reminded him that God knew he wanted to be 'cool' and He gives us the desires of our heart, I
just decided to leave this one in God's Hands. I also explained that if he got the shoes, it would be fine with me.
Josh had had very mixed emotions. He wanted those shoes so badly, but he wasn't that sure he wanted to
spend almost all his money on them. His friend always got the best of everything, before anyone else got them
– but his parents were divorced so his dad always spent a lot of money on him.
Later that night, josh was saying his prayers before going to bed. He talked to God and said, "You know, God,
my friend is always the first to have all the really neat things. I want a pair of cool basketball shoes, too. I know
I shouldn't waste my money. But these shoes really will make me play better. I just know it. So, God, please
help to get a pair of cool basketball shoes and do what YOU want. Thank you and in Jesus Name, Amen."
The next day after school, Josh and his gram went to town to look for basketball shoes. When they got to the
shoe store, Josh asked about the basketball shoes that had pumps. Much to his disappointment, the sales
clerk, told him those shoes were not even in our town yet. His friend must have gotten the shoes from a larger
town down the road because they would not be in our town until later in the year.
That sales woman was a blessing. She took one look at Josh's face and said, "You know, I have some that just
came in. No one in town even knows they are here yet and most of the kids already have their basketball
shoes. They're not those pump kind but would you like to see a pair?"
Josh sadly nodded and sat down. He knew they couldn't be as cool as the pump shoes. When the sales lady
came back, he took his old shoes off so he could try a shoe on and slumped back down in the chair. The lady
lifted the lid off the shoe box and Josh saw a red light twinkle. He sat up quickly.
When the lady pulled the shoe out of the box, the red lights on side of the shoe blinked at Josh as she turned
them over. She told him, "I'll have you know, young man, that these are the latest thing. They are called Light
Up Sneakers and no one in town has bought a pair from here yet. These lights blink every time you move the
shoe. You will be the first one to have a pair of these shoes."
Josh was so excited. Not only were these shoes cool, he would be the very first one to have a pair! He tried
them on and boy! were they cool! Those lights blinked every time he took a step. He was so proud and happy,
especially when he found out they were not expensive at all and were even better than the pump shoes that
didn't even have any lights!
Josh learned a great lessons about God’s goodness that day – that God loves us enough to help us be cool!
Josh did admire the way the lights twinkled in his shoes. He told me, " I won't brag about it or be ugly 'cause I'm
the first one to have these shoes, but I just know I will play better because I have these shoes on. You wait and
see, Mom!"
And you know what? He did.
Copyright © 1993 Nan C Loyd
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Boy’s Club basketball team. He came home one day in a total tizzy.
It seems a friend of his had gotten the latest basketball shoes. I believe they were called Air Jordan’s – they
pumped up! They cost $150 (the boy told everyone, thankyouverymuch). So Josh wanted a pair to play in.
I explained that $150 was a lot for a pair of shoes he’d only wear a few months and then outgrow. We talked
about using wisdom with our money.
So he decided he would pay for half of them. He explained that I could take it out of his savings. He really,
really wanted these cool basketball shoes. He also decided that he would play better if he had those pump
shoes. He just knew they were supposed to make you play better – why? Because it said so on TV!
I explained that only practice would make him play better. Shoes are shoes. It's what's in the shoes that
counts. I knew he wanted to be cool, but I sure didn’t have the money and personally, didn’t think he should
waste his money on those shoes (but I didn’t tell him that)
I did tell him that if he really wanted to pay for half of them, then it was his choice. We used the scripture in
James 1:5 and asked God for wisdom and I asked him to pray about it.
So we knew that when he went with his gram to the shoe store the next day, we knew he would make good
choices. I also reminded him that God knew he wanted to be 'cool' and He gives us the desires of our heart, I
just decided to leave this one in God's Hands. I also explained that if he got the shoes, it would be fine with me.
Josh had had very mixed emotions. He wanted those shoes so badly, but he wasn't that sure he wanted to
spend almost all his money on them. His friend always got the best of everything, before anyone else got them
– but his parents were divorced so his dad always spent a lot of money on him.
Later that night, josh was saying his prayers before going to bed. He talked to God and said, "You know, God,
my friend is always the first to have all the really neat things. I want a pair of cool basketball shoes, too. I know
I shouldn't waste my money. But these shoes really will make me play better. I just know it. So, God, please
help to get a pair of cool basketball shoes and do what YOU want. Thank you and in Jesus Name, Amen."
The next day after school, Josh and his gram went to town to look for basketball shoes. When they got to the
shoe store, Josh asked about the basketball shoes that had pumps. Much to his disappointment, the sales
clerk, told him those shoes were not even in our town yet. His friend must have gotten the shoes from a larger
town down the road because they would not be in our town until later in the year.
That sales woman was a blessing. She took one look at Josh's face and said, "You know, I have some that just
came in. No one in town even knows they are here yet and most of the kids already have their basketball
shoes. They're not those pump kind but would you like to see a pair?"
Josh sadly nodded and sat down. He knew they couldn't be as cool as the pump shoes. When the sales lady
came back, he took his old shoes off so he could try a shoe on and slumped back down in the chair. The lady
lifted the lid off the shoe box and Josh saw a red light twinkle. He sat up quickly.
When the lady pulled the shoe out of the box, the red lights on side of the shoe blinked at Josh as she turned
them over. She told him, "I'll have you know, young man, that these are the latest thing. They are called Light
Up Sneakers and no one in town has bought a pair from here yet. These lights blink every time you move the
shoe. You will be the first one to have a pair of these shoes."
Josh was so excited. Not only were these shoes cool, he would be the very first one to have a pair! He tried
them on and boy! were they cool! Those lights blinked every time he took a step. He was so proud and happy,
especially when he found out they were not expensive at all and were even better than the pump shoes that
didn't even have any lights!
Josh learned a great lessons about God’s goodness that day – that God loves us enough to help us be cool!
Josh did admire the way the lights twinkled in his shoes. He told me, " I won't brag about it or be ugly 'cause I'm
the first one to have these shoes, but I just know I will play better because I have these shoes on. You wait and
see, Mom!"
And you know what? He did.
Copyright © 1993 Nan C Loyd
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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