by Shauna Brown
My father always took great measures to look and dress his best. Special tailor made suits, crisp ironed white shirts, carefully chosen ties and polished shoes. It’s his shoes I wish to focus upon today.
I have vivid memories of my father performing a task that I’m sure he never would have imagined impressed me as a child.
Daddy would fill his arms full of his shoes and make his way down to the basement where his supplies for polishing awaited. Contained in a small metal shelf were several round tin cans of black and brown shoe polish, brushes and rags.
He then organized the shoes upon the basement stairs. All of his shoes looked pretty much the same to me, Florsheim Wing-tips, in a limited selection of colors: black and brown. Then the ritual began.
Daddy would take each shoe and quickly brush the dirt away. Then he would pop the tin lids off to reveal the pasty hues of polish. I can almost smell the musty brown and decadent black scents to this very day.
As a familiar,and favorite observer I would wiggle my bottom on one of the steps to get a comfortable view. There’s an art to polishing I found.
After all the shoes had been brushed and cleaned of dirt Daddy then would take each shoe, one by one and carefully apply a thin layer of polish to it. Soon the aroma of polish and wax enveloped us.
I marveled at how carefully he worked to insure the proper amounts of shoe polish were applied - evenly. Inspecting every inch of the shoe to guarantee he hadn’t missed a spot--so it would “ polish-up well.” When finished with the application segment he would then replace the shoe to the step to dry. Daddy said that by letting it set for a while allowed the polish to restore and condition the leather.
When the shoe was dry enough Daddy would take one shoe in hand. Resting it upon his propped up knee he would take a brush and start to briskly brush and shine the shoe. He found rhythm with the movement and sometimes even a slight humming melody came. After a few quick brushings to all sides of the shoe he would then again take a moment to inspect once more. If approved, he would take the final step in using a soft rag to the finish.
I watched as each of the shoes were transformed before my eyes. From dull to delightful they now rested in unified formation upon the stairs. I liked it when Daddy winked at me with his approving eye and said, “We did it!”
One by one the once dirty and scuffed shoes now shined. At the conclusion of the shining moment Daddy would gather up the shoes and return to his bedroom where he then awarded each pair a ‘shoe tree.’ Stretching the shoe to preserve its shape and stop it from developing creases. He said the trees helped the shoe
Recently as I watched my own sweetheart open a similar tin can of polish I realized how important those simple -shoe shinning moments with my father were.
One by one, each of us experience times when our “souls” are momentarily covered in dirt and dust. We feel scuffed and weary worn, perhaps we discover we even have a hole in the bottom of our soles. Shine? Would that even be possible? Some might even offer, “It’s not worth all the trouble,” “Never mind,” “It’s a waste of time,” “It would take a miracle.”
How grateful we should be to know our eternal Father has long been actively “Shoe and soul-shining.” God is the maker of miracles. He is the master of polishing and perfecting. He stands before us and offers, “Come, I will make you shine once more.”
We step forward, sit within his chair and hope that upon closer examination he will remove every trace and particle of dirt. He smiles, inspects and the miracle begins. He carefully wipes away every trace. Imagine a soft, clean and gentle cloth.
He then opens a golden tin, and carefully applies, stroke by stroke the necessary polish. It is then we wonder just how long it will take to feel renewed and whole again. The purposeful polish or healing balm is allowed to set for a time-- God’s time.
Reconditioning the spirit isn’t always as easy as merely applying the polish.
Second phase demands intense brushing and effort. Daddy would say, “It take elbow grease to make it shine.”
I have found we are ultimately defined by some of life’s earnest and intense brushings. We are meant to shine, and it frequently it requires work. God is very much aware of what will bring out our individual highlights.
I love what Marianne Williamson once said, “We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
So I’m giving everyone permission to feel of the renewing polish offered freely by a loving Father. What ever it takes, God is willing to extend his hands, open his arms, rub hard, and then stand ready with gentle rags. He is our ultimate “shoe tree” to strengthen and give everlasting support.
It’s time to get polishing!
Foot Note: Enjoy the Sabbath
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