Riches discovered with new boots

As it is in all large families, hand-me-downs are a common occurrence.
The younger one always benefits from the growth of the older one. I benefitted a lot, sometimes more than I wanted. Three girls shared one room, the boys shared their room, and seven people shared a single bathroom. We were family, and personal space had not been invented.
It was the mid-60s when Nancy Sinatra appeared wearing a pair of white Go-Go boots on the cover of her album “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” I remember it like it was yesterday, seeing my older sister dancing the “pony” to the song as her bouffant hairdo bounced with each head tilt. Dressed for a date, she wore a pair of blue jeans with a blue and white pinstripe shirt that buttoned down the front. She was practicing her dance steps. I was holding the album cover.
I believe the memory is so vivid because of my strong desire for a pair of white Go-Go boots. They would make the perfect school shoes as I started my second-grade year. I took the album cover to Mom, telling her how much I needed a pair of my own, and then I returned to watch my sister finish getting ready for her night out.
As summer ended and a new school year emerged, Mom and Dad budgeted their money for our new school clothes. One day, Mom came home with a bag just for me. I could not believe my eyes; Mom had bought me a pair of black cowboy boots with red trim. They were a far cry from the ones Nancy Sinatra wore, but they were mine and the first pair of brand-new shoes I remember owning.
Growing up, we may not have had our desires, but we always had our needs. I polished those boots every evening, preparing them for the next day.
Looking back throughout my life, I cannot remember a wealthier time than that of my childhood. We were sheltered, fed, and clothed. We learned to be content with what we had because we were loved.
The Apostle Paul wrote of such contentment. He was often persecuted for his faith; many times, he was beaten and imprisoned. Nevertheless, he never wavered in believing God would care for him. Whether hungry or well-fed, Paul trusted God would meet all his needs. Paul realized his strength would be found through his faith in Jesus (Philippians 4:10-19). The Heavenly Father would be the source of Paul’s life.
There is no source greater than that of the Heavenly Father. The birds that fly above us never sow, reap, or store away food in the barns, and yet God continues to feed them. Our fields are covered in lilies, their beauty exceeding the splendor of King Solomon. The birds nor flowers are as valued as we are (Matthew 6:26-30). The Father loves us; we are His children (John 3:1). Nothing can pull us from His hand when our salvation is found in Jesus (John 10:29).
I do not know where life has brought you; even so, the Heavenly Father’s ultimate desire is to meet your needs according to His riches in Christ. You will find the actual difference between want and plenty when you place your hand in His. By making the Lord your source, you will understand that the color of your boots never mattered as much as the love they represented.

Psalm 37:25 I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread.

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.