How Beautiful Are the Feet … Especially in a Shoe Store

God brings His message and deliverance in the nick of time in the unlikeliest of places … even in a shoe store.

My Husband’s Story

My husband has had his eye on a different position within the same company for a year. There has been talk of the position being added to a certain department, and my husband has planned and prepared in order to be in the best position possible once it did come available. Crickets. We waited, trusting.

The long-awaited interview finally arrived last week. As my husband prepared, he carefully picked out his outfit for the interview. I know what I’m about to say doesn’t seem spiritual, but it does tie in; bear with me. His outfit had a lot of gray and black tones, but the shoes he had were brown with black soles. They didn’t give off the impression he was hoping for, so I suggested he go to the store and buy some different shoes.

We discussed several stores that may have what would look best with his outfit. I even looked up one of the stores online and perused what they had to offer. They really didn’t have what he was looking for in stock; only a couple pairs looked like possibilities, but they were online only.

As he planned his outing, he figured he would hit that store last … until he began to drive and decided to stop there first, instead. In the parking lot, before he entered the store, his nerves about the next day’s interview really stirred up … so did his conversation with God.

Once inside the store, he looked around and found a pair of shoes he considered. He sat there praying in the store, asking whether or not he really needed to buy the shoes. He had shoes that could work and thought if he got passed over for the job because of his shoes, it really wasn’t meant to be.

As he prayed, a couple approached him. He was in the middle of something very important to him, and the couple felt like a distraction … until they spoke.

The young couple explained what church they attended and that they were going about their day asking the LORD who He wanted them to pray for. They explained they were there shoe shopping, just like my husband was, but God led them specifically to him.

They proceeded to ask if there was anything, big or small, going on in his life that they could pray about. Now, you have to know my husband. He’s not one who will openly share the tough or personal stuff going on in our lives (that’s, obviously, me!), so the peace that he had about sharing with them was amazing!

My husband looked up to God, smiled, and proceeded to share with them that he was a believer, too, went to church just blocks from theirs, was anticipating a big interview the next day, and was just praying about whether or not God wanted him to buy the shoes he was looking at for the interview. As he recalled the story, he said the smiles on the amazed couple’s faces were huge as they listened and asked about the interview.

Now, they weren’t just planning on praying FOR my husband, though that would have been jaw-dropping enough; they prayed WITH him … in the store! The man asked permission to touch my husband on the shoulder while they prayed over him and his interview. There, in the middle of the shoe store, the three believers prayed together: quite an unlikely place, but it was the most perfect place!

The Peace and victory my husband experienced in that store were overwhelming, and he left without buying the shoes! As he put it, he got exactly what he needed there!

The Result

That Peace that rose over my husband has been consuming him ever since: leading up to the interview, in the midst of it, and even after! It’s all over his face and so, so evident! It’s beautiful!

“How beautiful and delightful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace, who brings good news of good [things], who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices. Together they shout for joy … Break forth. Shout joyfully together … for the LORD has comforted His people … The LORD has bared His holy arm (His infinite power) before the eyes of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.”

Isaiah 52:7-10 AB

The mountains, in this case, may be the aisle of a shoe store, but the feet of that couple who accepted the role of being messengers were beautiful and appropriate at just the right time! They brought good news of God’s watchful, intentional, loving care; of victory over the enemy who tried to bring fear and doubt; and of the One Who exercises His power and authority in everyday places!

What Now?

This is our God, Liv! We have been watching for His hand and have seen it in countless ways, but this experience is a mountaintop in our lives! He’s comforted us (His kids, whom He paid a valuable price for) and exposed His power: not just to us but also to the messenger couple and, maybe, others in the store! We can’t help but lift up our voices and shout for joy! Before all, we’re forever grateful!

If you’re willing, ask Him how He wants to use you to deliver His message!