Imagine you are a young child. You have just received brand new shoes as a gift. They are bright white all over: white shoestrings, white eyelets, white uppers, white tongue, white sole, everything…white. They’re the brightest thing you’ve ever seen, and you can’t wait to wear them outside. The sun will reflect off of your new shoes and blind your friends. Your teacher will remark on how clean they are.
But the moment you are outside, playing, going to school, enjoying a recess, exploring, you must realize how vulnerable your shoes are to becoming scuffed. You notice how others walk too close, stepping on the backs of your shoes in the hall. You notice the water on the floor in the restroom. You find the sidewalk to be caked with mud from the recent rain.
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Every thought points to your new white shoes! Suddenly, your mission in life is to keep them shining. You guard them. You step carefully around a spill. You’re careful to pick up your feet to avoid kicking something. You avoid running through dirty spots.
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When you notice a scuff, you buff it out. If you find a stain, you rub it hard. You get a wet towel to clean it. You protect those shoes!
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I didn’t have the white shoes, but I didn’t want to get muddy when I stepped into my daddy’s footprints. When his boot sank into the mud in front of me, the mud squished out all around his boot. His boot would press an impression in the mud until the ground below was solid enough to take his weight. When I stepped into the print of his boot, I stepped directly onto solid ground. The soft mud had been cleared for me. As long as I could step into his print, I knew I would not get stuck. My shoes would not be as caked with mud as they would trying to make prints of my own.
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Walking in the footsteps of my dad meant walking on a more solid foundation. As a parent myself, I hope I can provide the same for my children.
