Air Jordan

Air Jordan

God is so good. A special thanks to my friend, Evangelist Randy Hogue who has un-selfishly opened a door for me to speak this Thursday night and Friday to nearly 2,500 students in a couple public school assemblies in West Virginia. I will be speaking to two assemblies at a large public high school on “character” and “overcoming obstacles” in the morning and also to a junior high school on Friday afternoon. Thursday evening, I will be speaking at a church in Fairlea, WV hosting this large outreach that Brother Randy will speak at over the weekend.

It is wonderful when folks promote others and open doors and that is becoming more of a dying art these days. Please pray that scores are encouraged during my remarks and a special shout out to Randy for this exciting opportunity.

Prior to my junior high remarks I am going to grab 100 volunteers from the audience (nothing like participation) and strategically place them in ten rows of ten. Kids as you may know find their identity in crowds and clothes. One of their most prized possessions are their tennis shoes. Before the game I will have them give me their shoes. It never fails – at first they are reluctant to entrust me with their shoes. Why? Because their identity is tied to them.

From there I will make a huge pile of 100 pairs of shoes and stack them like a mini mountain. When I say “go” the kids race to find the person’s shoes behind them in line. Then the fun begins. They have to both wear and walk in their friend’s shoes and then hobble back and the next person goes and repeats the process. The first team to sit down indian style wins.

I wear a sized 12 and the first time I tried it myself I had to put on a girl’s size seven sandals. Fun! The students think it was just a game to kill time but then I hit them with a powerful point. Pastors, Coaches and leaders: PONDER THIS POINT:

The next time when the youth in your group at church comes into class late or with holes in his/her jeans or adorning less than the best tennis shoes too often we mock and make fun of them. Sadly, that person coming late may be raised in a broken home, raised by a grandmother trying to make ends meet and barely have enough food on the table. It is a miracle that they even make it to church much less only tad late.

The morale of the story is: “You will never know what its like to be someone else until you have walked in their shoes.” When I hit the students with that powerful point you can hear a pin drop. As adults we tend to disqualify folks whom are less than perfect. The last time I checked only One Man is perfect and that is Christ the Lord. Some folks have been broken financially, some emotionally, others socially. Some have endured a disease others battle depression and some were left to die after a failed marriage. However, we are never more like Christ when we give and when we forgive.

May we be slow to judge and quick to imitate Christ because when we mentally put ourselves in others shoes we just may be less critical and more like Christ. As a kid, I was blessed to have the $100 Air Jordans. Unfortunately, many did not. As a youth, I wanted to be like Mike – if I could be like Mike (Jordan). Today, more than ever as an adult my desire and daydream is to be like Christ – if I could be like Christ.

Elvis sang a classic song posted below called “Walk A Mile in My Shoes.” I love that line: “Before you abuse, criticize or accuse – walk a mile in my shoes.” His opening quote to that song was a poem he read and it is worth repeating:

“You never stood in that man shoes – or saw things through his eyes, or stood with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies. So help your brother along the way no matter where he starts. For the same God that made you, made him too, these men with broken hearts.”

Recently, one of my best friends learned he is going through a divorce. God laid on my heart to buy him a brand new pair of NIKE shoes. As the UHAUL van was pulling out with his earthly possessions in tow I handed him the new shoes. Touched but puzzled he asked: “Frank, what do I do with these?” I said: “Brother, I have been in your place you stand today. I want you to wear them every day and you will be reminded that God walks with you every step of the way.”

Looking back the thing you may be most embarrassed about becomes your greatest ministry to relate and bring hope and healing to those hurting. Oswald Chambers wrote: “The storms you go through were never intended for you but that you may relate to others and that will enable you to minister to them at their moment of pain.” Today, may we all walk and talk more like Christ and before you “abuse, criticize and accuse – walk a mile in my shoes.”