{"id":38676,"date":"2025-12-24T21:50:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T04:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?post_type=portfolio&p=38676"},"modified":"2025-12-24T22:14:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T05:14:23","slug":"2025-shoe","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2025-shoe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shoe of The Man Next to Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

I showered and shaved.<\/p>\n

I adjusted my tie.<\/p>\n

I got there and sat<\/p>\n

In a pew just in time.<\/p>\n

Bowing my head in prayer<\/p>\n

As I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I saw the shoe of the man next to me<\/p>\n

Touching my own and I sighed.<\/p>\n

With plenty of room on either side,<\/p>\n

I thought, “Why must our soles touch?”<\/p>\n

It bothered me. His shoe is touching mine<\/p>\n

But it didn’t bother him much.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A prayer began: “Our Father”<\/p>\n

I thought, “This man with the shoes has no pride.<\/p>\n

They’re dusty, worn, and scratched.<\/p>\n

Even worse, there are holes on the side!”<\/p>\n

“Thank You for blessings,” the prayer went on.<\/p>\n

The shoe man said a quiet “Amen.”<\/p>\n

I tried to focus on the prayer<\/p>\n

But my thoughts were on his shoes again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Aren’t we supposed to look our best<\/p>\n

When walking through that door?<\/p>\n

“Well, this certainly isn’t it,”<\/p>\n

I thought while glancing toward the floor.<\/p>\n

Then the prayer was ended.<\/p>\n

The songs of praise began.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The shoe man was certainly loud<\/p>\n

Sounding proud as he sang.<\/p>\n

His voice lifted the rafters.<\/p>\n

His hands were raised high.<\/p>\n

The Lord could surely hear<\/p>\n

The shoe man’s voice from the sky.<\/p>\n

It was time for the offering.<\/p>\n

What I threw in was steep.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I watched as the shoe man reached<\/p>\n

Into his pockets so deep.<\/p>\n

I saw what was pulled out<\/p>\n

What the shoe man put in.<\/p>\n

Then I heard a soft “clink”<\/p>\n

As when silver hits tin.<\/p>\n

The sermon really bored me<\/p>\n

To tears and that’s no lie.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was the same for the shoe man.<\/p>\n

For tears fell from his eyes.<\/p>\n

At the end of the service<\/p>\n

As is the custom here<\/p>\n

We must greet new visitors<\/p>\n

And show them all good cheer.<\/p>\n

But I felt moved somehow<\/p>\n

And wanted to meet the shoe man.<\/p>\n

So after the closing prayer<\/p>\n

I reached over and shook his hand.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He was old and his skin was dark.<\/p>\n

His hair was truly a mess.<\/p>\n

But I thanked him for coming<\/p>\n

And being our guest.<\/p>\n

He said, “My name is Charlie.<\/p>\n

I’m glad to meet you, my friend.”<\/p>\n

There were tears in his eyes<\/p>\n

But he had a large, wide grin.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“Let me explain,” he said,<\/p>\n

Wiping tears from his eyes,<\/p>\n

“I’ve been coming here for months<\/p>\n

And you’re the first to say ‘Hi.'”<\/p>\n

“I know that my appearance<\/p>\n

Is not like all the rest.<\/p>\n

But I really do try<\/p>\n

To always look my best.”<\/p>\n

“I always clean and polish my shoes<\/p>\n

Before my very long walk.<\/p>\n

But by the time I get here<\/p>\n

They’re dirty and dusty, like chalk.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My heart filled with pain<\/p>\n

And I swallowed to hide my tears<\/p>\n

As he continued to apologize<\/p>\n

For daring to sit so near.<\/p>\n

He said, “When I get here<\/p>\n

I know I must look a sight,<\/p>\n

But I thought if I could touch you<\/p>\n

Then maybe our souls might unite.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I was silent for a moment<\/p>\n

Knowing whatever was said<\/p>\n

Would pale in comparison.<\/p>\n

I spoke from my heart, not my head.<\/p>\n

“Oh, you’ve touched me,” I said,<\/p>\n

“And taught me, in part<\/p>\n

That the best of any man<\/p>\n

Is what is found in his heart.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The rest, I thought,<\/p>\n

This shoe man will never know.<\/p>\n

Like just how thankful I really am<\/p>\n

That his dirty old shoe touched my soul.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

– Author Unknown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I showered and shaved. I adjusted my tie. I got there and sat In a pew just in time. Bowing my head in prayer As I closed my eyes.   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"portfolio_entries":[29],"class_list":["post-38676","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_entries-29"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/38676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38676"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/38676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38683,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/38676\/revisions\/38683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38676"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio_entries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_entries?post=38676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}