High Price for Fashion

There's a high price that women pay for fashion. I'm all about shoes. But I draw the line when they hurt my feet. Except for Chacos, but once you condition your feet for them, they are the most comfortable sandals.

This is a lesson my daughter learned the hard way.

Bad parenting confession: Normally, we don't allow our four year old to wear heels out in public. However, we purchased a pair of high heel flip flops for her last summer when she was about an inch and a half too short to ride Splash Mountain & Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. She was only allowed to put them on right before walking to the line and took them off as soon as we exited.

Did she meet the height requirement with her heels on? Yes.
Did we get condemning looks from the cast members responsible for measuring kids? Yes.
Did we care? Heck no! 

Since the dog sunk her teeth into her previous pair, we let her get a new pair this trip. She really liked these flip flops and insisted on wearing them all night to Disney. My wife told her no and that it was a bad idea since wearing them for a long time would hurt her feet. But I intervened. Reasoning with my lovely wife, "Haven't you ever gotten a new pair of shoes and wanted to wear them?" Of course, she has.

The three of us made the agreement that she could wear the shoes as long as she brought and extra pair.

She did, but she left her extra shoes in the van.

Within two hours, she had a blister. She was limping thirty minutes later. Band-aids we keep in the stroller for these type of emergencies did little to dull the pain. She looked like one of those women who wear the high heels to look good, but in reality end up looking like the number 7 as they walk. It wasn't long until her debilitated condition spiraled downhill, rendering her feet totally useless and she had to be carried everywhere. By the end of the night, she hated her new shoes and never wants to wear them out in public again.

She understood the cost of being fashionable, but it was too late.

This is how it is with sin in our lives.

You do something because you want to do it. You are stubborn. You fail to listen to wise advice from people. There's always an enabler around. Someone who is on your side. You might even try to set up safeguards. But when you play around with something you shouldn't, safeguards will not work. Before you know it, you feel the sting of your disobedience. Keep going much longer and it can become debilitating.

But then there's grace.

Just like my daughter, after your sin (something you will never be immune from), you have a God who is willing to carry you. You'll feel the sting of your bad choices for a while (maybe forever), but you'll also experience the comfort, forgiveness, and peace that only a Father can give.