Lately getting the mail has been like Christmas.  I have been receiving so many sweet notes and cards from thoughtful friends and family with encouraging words, scripture and prayers which God is using to carry me through this difficult time.  Yesterday I opened one in particular that was clearly meant for me from a dear friend who knows me all too well.  As you can see, the front is a photo of 4 ladies in fashionable dresses and more importantly…fabulous shoes.  I am known (again…all too well) for my love of shoes and given that I am short…with a very tall husband…the higher the better.  You know…I’ve heard…the higher the heel, the closer to God.  Obviously that isn’t biblical…but it’s a nice thought anyway.  What I loved about this card was not only what it said…and how it looked…but how personal it was.  It reminded me that walking by faith is a journey and because I have been walking it closely with others, they are here to help me when the walk becomes more of a crawl.  They are willing to put on whatever shoes they need to in order to encourage me.

God has placed so many amazing women in my life.  Young and old, friends and mentors…all sisters in Christ who truly love the Lord and love me.  They really know me from the inside out.  When trouble comes and the stuff hits the fan…they put on their muck boots and wade right through it with me.  They are there to pray and hold my hand in the thick of it.  When I need a little pampering, they break out their flip flops and treat me to a pedicure.  When the road is long…they are faithful to press on and go the distance in their running shoes.  When it’s time to celebrate, they joyfully pull out their dancing shoes.  And in times like these when I need comfort…they come right on in with their comfy slippers just to sit with me.  I pray that I am just as willing to kick off my heels and put on whatever shoes I need to in order to walk with them on their journeys of faith.

Several years ago I was discouraged.  In my fearful, selfish isolation I was finding that true friends seemed to be hard to come by.  I was surrounded lots of relationships, but only on the surface.  It wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own because I wasn’t willing to be real and share my heart.  Once I was obedient to be honest and share my story…the real one…the ugly truth…God opened the flood gates and suddenly I found myself surrounded and loved unconditionally by dear sisters in Christ and He made the ugly in my life beautiful in a way that only He can do.  My sisters are ready, willing and able to put on their walking shoes and head down any road to surround me with the love of Jesus.  Today I am grateful to God for the gift of the many precious ladies in my life who know and love Him…and me too!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Ephesians 6:10-18