Brown Loafers

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6

As I was passing through the hallway at my sister's house I spotted her husband's brown loafers on the bedroom floor and, strangely, it evoked a powerful emotion in me. Unimportant, insignificant brown loafers. But, in my home there were no men's loafers; there were only my old blue sneakers, and a few pairs of size 8 heels and flats. From somewhere deep inside me, a fresh awareness of all my pain and loneliness was triggered by the sight of a man's shoes in her home.

Thirty years later, I can still recall the emotional impact of that simple experience. Only now I can look back with a heart of wisdom gained from God's word, as well as a wealth of insight gained through life experience that I did not possess in those earlier years. If I had only known then what I know now, I could have saved myself enough tears to fill a river and more regrets than I could express.

Today there are brown loafers in my own bedroom, and they belong to the very man from whom I was divorced when I spotted the ones at my sister's house. We had been divorced for 6 years when we remarried. And, with the wisdom and insight I have gained, I can tell you that we could have saved ourselves all that heartache and pain if we had humbled ourselves before God and each other much earlier. If we could go back to that time we would give God a chance to show us our own hearts, and what each of us individually needed to deal with. That would have gone a long way in healing the relationship. I would also have studied the Bible for myself to learn God‚s plan for marriage, and I would have applied that plan.

Fortunately, God gives grace, and we did learn our lessons, but we learned them the hard way. I now have a wonderfully fulfilling relationship with my husband and also with God. The brown loafers were a symbol of my need, not just for my husband, but also for God's love in my life, and my knowledge of His acceptance. That's why the sight of them stirred up so strongly a need that was deeper than I ever knew, until it was finally filled. Since I have come to peace in these areas, loneliness and depression are not a part of my life anymore and they haven't been for a very long time.

Perhaps a troubled marriage is not your problem, but whatever the need is in your life, the place of new beginnings is in realizing that Jesus came to fill that void, that longing in your soul that speaks to you in the quiet hours.

If you're interested, there is more information about:
The most important event of all time and
The most important Book of all time.

email this message to a friend   |   DW Home

Submitted by Daphne Harrington. You may email Daphne at this address: daphne@daphneharrington.com or visit her Web site to read more of her writing: www.daphneharrington.com