Dancing Shoes of Hope

By Janet Perez Eckles –

My friend came to the door to pick me up. ‘”Ready for our trip?” she said.

I looped my purse over my shoulder. “Sure am.”

“What’s with the high heels?” she said.

I wrinkled my nose. “Why not?”

“Because we’ll be doing a lot of walking in those airports. You need comfortable shoes.” She stomped her feet. “Like these tennis shoes.”

I chuckled. Few friends understand the Latina thinking—that heels make us, well, more feminine. I know it’s silly. Ridiculous really. But a desire to wear high heels is one of many quirks to which we cling.

And with no shame, we cling to silly traditions and human principles that often don’t make sense. But they’re part of us like our innate urge to sway to the rhythmic Salsa.

But deeper than that, beyond nationalities or whatever stage of life, some of us hang on to other stuff. We grip issues which are more risky and perhaps more destructive.

Unaware, we do it, we hold on to past hurts. Cling to unhealthy relationships. Stew over resentment for what we’ve lost. Hang on to anger for what went wrong. And even clutch bitterness because of broken dreams.

Have you been there? I have. It’s ugly and sad. Trying to look back at the days when I had sight could make me nauseous with nostalgia. Longing to go back. Itching to have what I did then.

With armfuls of what was in the past, we gaze at the rearview mirror of life. And, gracious, we drive right past the gate—the wide gate God holds open ushering us into a new chapter of life. The gate to the place holding vibrant possibilities, treasures to be found, and better opportunities to savor.

I learned the secret—with the eyes of my heart. Look ahead at each day as a resilient, promising, new beginning.

Time to do some spring cleaning. It’s time to let go. Broken dreams don’t have to take away our expectations. Unfulfilled plans don’t have to control our thoughts. And scars don’t have to mark our future.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come”
(2 Corinthians 5:17).

He gave us freedom and permission to look ahead. So kick off those high heels that keep you walking in yesterday’s pain. With each new dawning, our steps ahead depend on the Lord and in Him alone. That’s when life begins. A new creation is in the making. And with new dancing shoes of hope, we can salsa into tomorrow.