Cracked Boots

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:18

I turn into “Miss Tea Party” when I don an old pink hat that I hand decorated with candles on top to resemble a birthday cake. My sweet neighbor Audrey in Charlottesville, Virginia, gave me the floral hat years ago when she saw my third “greaters” parade into my home for a tea party.

Not too long ago, “Miss Tea Party” and my daughter, now “Miss Tea Cup,” were invited to take part in a fashion show. In a moment of last-minute desperation for my black ankle-top boots to match our mother/daughter white May dresses, I spray painted my only pair of laced boots with leftover glossy white paint. I was pleased with the result. They looked shiny, beautiful, and perfect.

That is, until I arrived at the party. With every step I took, the white paint cracked and peeled to the floor, leaving a nice little trail behind me! After the party was over, I took my boots to a shoe repair shop to see if they could be salvaged. The man just shook his head and said there was nothing he could do—I had used the wrong kind of paint! I was crushed by disappointment, but I wasn’t crushed in spirit.

Sometimes the circumstances of life leave us crushed and cracked, and we try all kinds of things to “paint” over how we really feel, in hopes of soothing the pain. Death, disease, divorce, hurricanes, and many other real personal tragedies can be found all around us. You may be going through your own personal 9/11 right now or may need to make a 911 call to God. He has promised to rescue us when we’re crushed and revive our spirits.

Jesus Christ was not defeated when He died for our sins on the cross. He was victoriously resurrected. When you feel like your life is falling through the cracks, call on Him.