Wooden Shoes (click here)

One day a Japanese man was walking home from the public bath. On his way the thong of one of his wooden shoes, fitting between his big toe and the other toes, broke. He did not know how to go further.

He heard people singing in one of the nearby buildings and made his way there. Some one invited him to join the group in the church. According to Japanese custom, he left his shoes at the door and sat on his legs together with everybody else, listening to minister delivering a sermon.

One of the believers at the door noticed his predicament. While he was listening to the sermon, she looked in her handbag, found a short piece of string and fixed his broken shoe.

That night he could not sleep, thinking of what happened. He was deeply impressed – not with the sermon, but with the friendliness of the person who had touched his filthy shoe to fixed the broken thong.

The next day he again visited the minister, was converted and later became a minister.

God can even use a piece of string.

He can use something that is nothing in a glorious way. God chose you who are worthless, weak and useless to put the wise to shame.

Think about 1 Cor. 1:28. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.

We may be worthless, but God wants to use us!

Neil Verwey