The Right Shoes and A Father’s Love

Sometimes you just can’t get over the way that the Lord loves us, can you!? His love is lavish and amazing and so incredible!! The clothing ministry is such an incredible place of specific blessings that you can’t really turn your back for a minute because God will just show up in such unexpected and awesome ways!!  Whether people that visit the ministry realize it or not, God meets such individual and exact needs that you can NOT deny His presence there… and it blows me away EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!!

Yesterday was NO different.

A sweet, sweet man came into the ministry yesterday. His smile was so genuine and his old eyes sparkled. It was obvious that he needed clothing and shoes as he was wearing socks and flip flops on a day when the temps were not out of the high 40’s. What he did have he wore with pride and he cared about his appearance. He was very clean and well put together though you could tell that he was in need. His spirit was just so gentle and when he came in I just prayed, “Lord, DO IT for him!”

He started looking through the clothes and spent a considerable amount of time trying things on. He wanted a few ties for church. He was so precious hanging things back on the rack with extreme care with the things that did not work for him.

He came to me and said, “Do you have any more shoes? I really need them. This is all I have.” I said, “Well, we do have a few more pairs in the back. We didn’t have a spot for all of them out here. What size do you need?” He said he needed a 12 and so I went to the back.

There were 2 pair. Yes, two pairs of size 12’s. I am typing through tears remembering the look on his face as I walked out with TWO pairs of shoes for him. HIs precious face just lit up and he said, “Oh, I will take it! I will take it!” There are just not words to explain it.

Oh, GOD! We are unworthy of such favor!! That You would allow us to see such grace and provision is just beyond me!!

Another woman came and she shopped for a while. It was her first time there. She found a few things to wear, but to my surprise her blessing did not come in the clothing as much as it did in the invitation to church.

See, every time someone comes in we ask if they have a church home before they leave. It’s really simple. We just say, “Do you have a church home?” Sometimes they say yes and move on and sometimes they say no and we give them our church info. and invite them to attend.

This particular lady was holding her bag of clothing and getting ready to leave and I asked, “Do you have a church home?” I was so concerned when she started getting tears in her eyes. “Oh honey. My church is in such a mess. No one gets along. I just need a place to worship.I love to sing! I want to just sing!”  I hugged her and I said, “Please, come here. We’d love to have you! Come and sing!” I gave her information about the service times and she continued to cry. “God really does love me, doesn’t He?”

You never really know what the needs will be exactly. You just know that the people are usually not there just to be there. These are divine appointments that the Lord uses to show us His grace, provision and glory! I have to honestly say that I am humbled and moved to tears myself as the Lord continues to bless and meet needs like only He can! He knows each need before they walk in the doors and He has the exact item that they need just waiting for them.

I am in awe. I am humbled and I can’t wait to go back to see what He does next!

Oh, I just love Him! Don’t you!?!