Unsightly Toenails and Elegant Feet
Mrs. Imelda Marcos, was the 1st Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 during which time she allegedly acquired more than 1,250 pairs of shoes according to authorities. Another source claims it was more like 3,000. Either figure reveals a person whose extravagant needs were not only unreasonable but also excessively expensive to the extreme.
Since taking over the collection, the three women have continued to buy and collect even more sneakers and they now estimate the stash is worth more than $2 million. Recent tabulations put the count at just over 7,000 pairs of Sneakers.
In March 2021 the 3 Chics (as they call themselves) began to sell off different assortments making over 1,600% from the purchase price.
Our wives were challenged to select their husband by just seeing their feet. I don’t know about you but it was totally embarrassing for me that my wife won 1st Prize because of how bad my thick and curled- up toenails looked.
She looked so modest and wholesome. She was the perfect selection for the Praise Team. Her voice was just the right fit for the group. My wife and I knew her Mother and she was so pleased and proud of her daughter. We began to anticipate seeing her as she worshiped the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I noticed it. Her feet. Had I really noticed bare feet? Were her feet really without shoes? I asked my wife, after church, had I seen right? Was she indeed shoe less?
Peggy said, “Yes!” I asked if she knew why. Peggy asked her Mom, “Why does your daughter sing without shoes?” I’ll never forget the answer.
“Because, just like Moses, she was in the presence of the Lord standing on Holy Ground.”
Perhaps you’d differ somewhat on your theology but I’d never seen anyone singing to the Lord shoe less before and somehow it made the whole service more reverent. Sometimes services approach irreverent and the heart that spoke, “I’m not worthy to wear my shoes as I’m in the presence of the Sovereign of the Universe,” spoke to my heart. It was a parallel to kneeling-when-praying experience for me.
Then I recalled a curious habit of my entire adult life. I would purchase the lowest-priced-men’s dress shoes and wear them so long they would be scuffed, holes in the soles and heels worn out. My wife and older kids would say, “Dad You really need some new shoes.” Still I would go on, perhaps another year or more. Then when just the right mood hit me I’d go pick out another pair. But I always checked Goodwill’s used shoes first. But I wasn’t doing it for a noble or spiritual reason. So I pondered, Does the Bible say anything about shoes? Impressively designed shoes? Expensive shoes?
Then I realized the best advertisement for shoes on the whole planet and for thousands of years. Over 600 years before the birth of Jesus Isaiah wrote:
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
This dynamically and convincingly assures all people that the most beautiful feet for all time, everywhere are those preaching the Good News of the Gospel. So, in reflection, my old, dilapidated shoes were still on beautiful feet. In spite of my yucky toenails!
