Killer Heels

I have some sort of awful disorder that attracts me to the mall every weekend. Fear not, for I do not always purchase something and I tend to not be a compulsive buyer. For me, shopping is a time to get together, talk, have lunch, and walk around for a few hours.

I did, however, buy my first pair of casual heels (and got to wear them the following day to dinner). They're black, cute, and have "Dani" written all over them. While Paige and I were shopping, I stumbled across a revelation: shoes are like sin. I am pretty sure I am not the first female to realize that there are possible negative side effects to shoe shopping, but this intrigued me.

1. It takes a while to get comfortable in a new pair of shoes.

When I was a kid, my momma never let me wear my new school clothes early - except for shoes. My brother and I got to don our new, shiny white kicks around the house the week before classes started, just to "break them in". Sometimes I wonder though if this was nothing more than one of her "mom tactics" to keep my brother and I content and quiet. Either way, the shoes were more comfortable the following week and led to a blister-free Monday. Similarly, sins always become easier and easier to commit. Initially, we are simply tempted to do wrong, but eventually, the acts become habit; we settle into them like an old winter coat - or a dirty pair of Nikes. Soon, we can slip the sneakers on and off without undoing the laces, much like we can lie or steal without second thoughts.

2. We suffer for beauty.

I think I tried on every single heel of mild interest in the mall. At least once. I am a picky girl; in order to make a purchase something, it needs to scream for me to take it home. I tried on some shoes and instantly knowing without fully sticking my foot in that they were not a good choice. Likewise, although all sins are equal, I look at some actions and think "How could anyone ever do that?" I blatantly know that it is not a good choice and have no desire to pursue it; the shoe does not even make it completely on my foot. Other shoes have a slight pain, but are cute; I find myself weighing out the options of whether or not I want bunions or an adorable set of kicks... or if I am willing to handle the guilt and repercussions in exchange for a high school party.

3. Heels kill.

While we are on the topic of painful shoes, let's all agree that heels kill. They're painful. They're wretched. But they're oh-so-cute (and make your calves look fabulous)! It's only a matter of minutes after girls walk into the atrium at Homecoming that they're stripping off their strappy heels, exposing their poor footsies to the bacteria-laden gym floor. If you're like me, you have a terrible phobia of germs and will grimace through the pain for the sake of your mental state of mind. At the end of the night, when you finally have the satisfaction of releasing your imprisoned feet, it is a mixture of both pain and relief. Similarly, sin hurts. No matter how comfortable you are, you will still feel guilt. That nagging Holy Spirit is going to be tugging at your heart strings as much as allowed. When you finally repent though, the feeling is bittersweet. You're left with mixed emotions of both shame and the amazing liberation that only Jesus can bring.

4. Shoes are expensive.

I, as a high school babysitter, cannot justify a $90 pair of shoes, much to the frustration of Paige. I will search high and low to get the best bang for my buck; I will average cost, appearance, and quality to meet my standards and capabilities. You better believe it, they're probably going to be on sale. It's really quite a process to make sure that my feet have a good dose of cuteness attached to them. Sin costs us our life; there is no Black Friday Sale to somehow make the consequences null. Likewise, we rationalize our sin and we go to great efforts to cover it. It is hard work to justify a deed that hammers a hand through a nail; it's not easy to hide a murder. It's a great scavenger hunt of lies to ourself and friends to avoid confrontation with our sin.

5. If the shoes hurt at all in the store, they'll hurt much worse at home.

In the event I am able to justify why I need this expensive or pinching pair of shoes, they will usually end up in the back of my closet or handed off to someone else. I am not sure what goes through my mind every time that tells me that these shoes will be different and will magically change shape. Likewise, sin is sin is sin. There's no grey area. The shoes may be pretty in the store and our sin may be covered up as something great - a charity organization for monetary gain, volunteer work done for attention. However, the sin will be sin and the shoes will still hurt. At some point, you will have to face Jesus when you go home.

So there it is, Paige, the parallels between shoes and sin. Happy shopping (: