The Lost Shoes

As humans, we tend to consistently document our successes, yet we seldom find the courage to openly discuss our failures or share them for the edification of others.

One morning, upon awakening, my spouse alerted me to the disappearance of one of my new boots. We were perplexed about how someone could steal just one boot from behind the gate and make off with both. We speculated that perhaps a dog had taken one boot. Living on the fifth floor of an apartment in New Delhi, India, without a public gate for access, meant that any creature could easily enter. Stray dogs and cats would sometimes cause chaos by tearing apart the plastic trash bin liners located primarily behind the gate and in the corridor. On occasion, they would snatch our boots, slippers, and those of our neighbors as prey. Nonetheless, the boot remained missing, and thus far, we have been unable to unravel this mystery.

I vividly recall that three weeks prior to that day, I visited a boot store intending to purchase a pair of brown boots, also known as camel-colored boots, to complement the new clothing items I had recently acquired. Upon entering the shop, I observed a man seated impolitely on the long bench, clutching a budget pair of boots in his hand, engaged in conversation with the shopkeeper in their native language (Hindi).

The shop assistant asked me what kind of boots I needed, and I told him my preferred color, and as usual, he showed me three or four types of boots and opened them for me to try on and see. At that moment, I was solely focused on examining and trying on different boot colors, unaware of the shopkeeper's inquiry to his assistant regarding the aforementioned man. His assistant mentioned that he wanted cheaper boots, and I, busy trying on and seeing the colors of the boots, failed to notice his departure from the shop.

As I recalled the incident, I couldn't help but feel remorseful, and regretted that I had not purchased either the same boot or a superior one for the man I encountered at the shop.

Maybe this incident was a way for God to illustrate to me that in a small trial where success was within reach, my negligence and lack of attention led to failure, resulting in my inability to provide warmth to someone's bare feet during this cold season.

It reminded me of a passage from the Bible, Matthew 25:31-46:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Prayer for Forgiveness:

O Lord! With remorse and humility, I kneel before Your presence, seeking forgiveness. Dear God, forgive me. From now on, I commit to being more mindful of these subtle points in my life so that I can serve Your little ones with all my might, according to Your will and desire.

Thank you, O Lord, for kindly making me aware. preventing me from succumbing to negligence and straying from Your path. Thank you for guiding me and unveiling the depths of my soul, enabling me to comprehend my deeds and live in accordance with Your divine will and command. Amen.

Indeed, beloved brothers and sisters! By aiding the least among God's creations, irrespective of religious, denominational, national, or linguistic differences, we not only obey God's command but also fulfill our human obligation. In doing so, we demonstrate God's love in our deeds, displaying our faith as followers of Christ.