shoes

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Do I Replace Or Keep Using That Old Item?

We replace things more often than we try to fix old or worn items. 

Do I replace or keep using that old item?

It may be partly due to how things are made these days. There is less craftsmanship in many items we buy now. 

At one time a washing machine would last 25 years or more. Now they say if your washer is still working after 8 to 10 years, you’re doing good. 

Styles also change and you want the latest. So you replace your worn out kitchen table instead of refinishing it. There’s a lot less time involved in replacing versus fixing. It costs more but it seems the benefits outweigh the price tag in many ways.

Shoes fit into that replace versus fix category.

I remember when I was a kid I had two pairs of shoes – running shoes (sneakers) and a pair of dress shoes. I wore my sneakers every day so they wore out quickly. 

But I’m older and don’t wear out shoes the same way. In fact, my running shoes hardly ever get worn. Shoes I wear more now – casual shoes, golf shoes, hiking shoes and sandals that end up being my every day shoes in the summer.

I have another pair of shoes, sneakers, that are only for a certain activity. I wear them for nothing else. In fact, I’m not 100% sure, but I think I inherited them from my dad. For years they sat unused in the garage. Now I wear them to cut the lawn. That’s it.

How they became my grass cutting shoes is simple. I had an old pair of shoes that got so worn out it was dangerous wearing them close to my lawnmower.

This pair of shoes from my dad have been great. They were in good shape and have lasted for years.

But at the end of last year the sole on one shoe started to separate from the upper – a sure sign to toss them. 

I don’t have an old pair of shoes to replace them with and, other than the separation, they are still in good shape.

My wife Lily had a similar issue with summer shoes she really liked. It was just that the soles were wearing out. She didn’t want to look for a new pair. She liked what she had, but it was difficult to find a shoemaker to fix them. One said no, he wouldn’t or couldn’t do it. 

Finally she found a cobbler who said he would fix her shoes. It almost cost the price of a new pair but she wanted to save these shoes. So she paid the price and can continue wearing them.

Me with my grass cutting shoes? Well, it’s a little more rudimentary. I bought some shoe-goo and will be sticking that sole to the upper. It won’t ever separate again. 

But I better get doing it because I need to cut my grass soon.

Here’s the thing: We are so accustomed to discard the old and move on to the new. That applies to how we think about social issues, moral issues and also about God and the Bible. Let’s agree there is nothing wrong with the old; it doesn’t always have to be replaced by something new. The Bible has been around for centuries, yet it offers truth and help that if we apply to our lives today will guarantee a blessing. Dust off your old Bible and read it. Experience the goodness of God’s message to us. 

That’s life!

Paul

Question: What could you fix that you’re tempted to ditch? Leave your comments and questions below.

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I’m Good At Wrecking Shoes

I came close to wrecking an expensive pair of shoes the other day.

I normally keep my shoes in good shape for a few years, but this pair I almost lost within six months of buying them.

When I was in my teens I remember my mom complaining that I wrecked running shoes (sneakers) in no time. But that was when I was young and foolish.

This week I got a call that there was a flood at our church. And when I was putting on my shoes to leave, I remember Lily saying to me, “You shouldn’t wear those; wear something old.”

But I thought that the call about the flood was an exaggeration so I said, “Don’t worry about it; they’ll be okay.”

Since then Lily has reiterated several times that she told me not to wear those shoes.

Okay, so she was right.

When I got to the church the flood was definitely a flood. In places the water was pooling on top of the carpet, and there was a little lake that spanned a hallway into two other classrooms.

The job was way too much for the one shop vac that we have, so I immediately called our carpet guy to get him on the job – fast.

The thing about flooding is you’re not usually the only one who’s flooded and so we had to wait a few hours for the carpet guy to actually arrive.

I figured I would do some prep for the professionals.

I had a helper who was madly using the shop vac in one hallway. But in the rooms we had all kinds of furniture that needed to get to dryer ground and out of the way for the carpet cleaner.

I decided to be the mover while we waited for water suction reinforcements.

The problem with that was it meant I had to walk through the pools of water in the various rooms to get the furniture out.

By the time I was done, so were my shoes. They were soaked through but looked okay.

When I got home, I told Lil that my shoes were really wet. And that was the first time she said, “I told you not to wear those shoes.”

Well, after letting them dry for two days, I still needed to blow some some warm through them.

When they were finally dry, they also looked ruined. The leather uppers had lost some of their shape, and there were white marks all over them.

That was the second time Lily said, “I told you not to wear them.”

But graciously she also said she would try to do something with them.

That evening she brought me my shoes and said, “Look at how well they turned out.”

I was amazed! They looked basically as good as they did before the dunking. I thanked her for all she did, and she reminded me one more time that I shouldn’t have worn them.

… But I’ll probably end up wearing them for something else I shouldn’t – that’s why, way back in the day, my mom was right when she said I was good at wrecking shoes.

Here’s the thing: It’s great to get another chance, but God has given us more than a second chance. He is so patient that we get multitudinous chances to trust our life to Him. And then He continues to forgive us of our wrongs. Now that’s a second chance!

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need a second chance with? Leave your comments below.

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Running Shoes Don’t Last Forever

I guess the life expectancy of my running shoes had reached its limit and then some.

I can’t remember when I bought them, but I do remember buying a pair about 22 years ago. I can’t say for sure that the runners I have now are those, but let’s just say I’ve had this pair for a very, very long time.

There was a time when I would go through a pair of running shoes every year. They were my go-to, every day shoes.

Since then I find I don’t run very much, so they just stay in the closet, collecting dust until I go on my treadmill or rowing machine. … I guess that’s why I’ve been able to keep them so long.

This year though, I decided to play baseball, so out came my trusty running shoes.

I wore them every Monday this spring and summer, but these shoes will never feel my feet inside them again.

Last Monday they simply disintegrated. I don’t know why they chose this past week to break down and I don’t know why they blew up all at once instead of gradually.

When I put them on before ball, they seemed to be in really good shape. I had no thoughts of needing to replace them this year at all.

The only thing I can think of is that the infield was made of red clay and was pretty wet … and we were just taking batting practice.

The pattern was to hit 10 balls, take a break while another guy hit ten, and then hit another 10 balls.

It might have been a combination of things, including extended time in the batter’s box dragging my toe through the wet clay as I swung through the pitch.

For the first 10 balls, I decided to hit right-handed. I noticed that a bunch of clay had gotten up inside the tread on one shoe.

For the next ten, I decided to hit my natural way – left-handed – and this time it was the other shoe that filled up with clay under the tread.

I then took my turn fielding balls.

By the time I finished my next at bat, the soles of my shoes were flapping like the tongue of a big old dog who’d just finished slurping down his dinner meal.

I walked back to my car feeling like I was wearing clown shoes! It was such an odd feeling.

The shoes were done, finished, not even good enough to cut the grass in.

Last night I went out looking for a new pair of running shoes. Cross trainers seem to be the type of shoe best suited to my activities. … $100 later and I’m ready for baseball next week.

Here’s the thing: In life, most of the time, we manage just fine. We even handle struggles with not too much sweat. But every once in a while the wheels fall off, the shoes disintegrate, life blows up in our face. This happens when we are least expecting it, usually when we are not ready for it. If you’re not in the habit of turning to God, you can really find yourself lost, floundering, panicked. Begin a relationship with God today – if you haven’t done so already – because He can put your life back together.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What unexpected thing has blown up in front of you? Leave your comments below.