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Michelle DeRusha

Every Day Faith. Faith Every Day.

September 20, 2013 By Michelle

She Bought Him Shoes

I knew it wouldn’t be an extravagant gift. After all, I’d only sent $20. And even in Bolivia, $20 doesn’t go very far. But still, I had envisioned something  fun.

A soccer ball to kick around in the dusty lot — the lot where he stands serious, arms by his side in the photograph that hangs on our fridge.

A box of 64 Crayolas, vibrant points row upon row, and a stack of crisp, unblemished coloring books.

A set of shiny Matchbox cars, primary colors popping bright against the dirt.

A brand-new, hard-cover book, Thomas the Tank Engine or Elmo in Spanish.

I’d pictured something that would light a smile on that somber face. A gift that would spark joy in those piercing brown eyes.

“Thank you very much for the birthday money,” his mother wrote in Spanish on Compassion letterhead a few weeks later. “I used it to buy Pedro a new pair of shoes.”

She bought him shoes for his fifth birthday.

I held her letter in my hand, reading her short note once, then twice, swallowing shame as I imagined my own children’s reaction to a single birthday gift, a gift of shoes. It would be unthinkable, of course. My children ask for iPods and scooters, Minecraft and Mario Bros. Shoes aren’t given as birthday gifts in our house. Shoes are a given.

I looked again at Pedro’s photograph on our refrigerator. Orange tee-shirt tucked into rumpled beige pants. Plastic pink crocks on his feet.

Plastic pink crocks on his feet.

Pedro’s mother’s bought him shoes for his fifth birthday. A soccer ball would have been fun. Sixty-four crayons and a stack of new coloring books would have been nice. But Pedro needed shoes.

 

September is Blog Month at Compassion International, and this week we were asked to write a response to this picture. I knew right away I would write about Pedro’s birthday shoes. For millions of kids around the world, shoes and other basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing and education are not a given, but a gift. Please consider giving that gift to a needy child. Sponsor a Compassion child or send a donation today. 

We are Called to Serve, Not Solve
Will We Merely Satisfy ... or Will We Sacrifice?

Filed Under: Compassion, Pedro Tagged With: Compassion International

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Triple Type A, “make it happen” (my dad’s favorite mantra) striver and achiever (I’m a 3 on the Enneagram, which tells you everything you need to know), but these days my striving looks more like sitting in silence on a park bench, my dog at my feet, as I slowly learn to let go of the false selves that have formed my identity for decades and lean toward uncovering who God created me to be.

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