My Shoes by Elder Dalan Lerwill

My Shoes


I had a humbling experience the other day. In the transfer meeting I was listening to the testimony of one of the new elders. I looked at his shoes and then I looked at mine. Tears came to my eyes. His shoes were brand new and shiny, just like a pair I knew nearly 24 months ago.

Mine are now old and beat up, but with a world of experience, just like the elder wearing them. I started thinking about my shoes. They’ve passes through two sets of insoles, put holes in all of my socks, and have survived an infinite amount of paint jobs. They’ve passes through the halls of the MTC, pounded the paved streets of Mesa and kicked up dust in the small

l town of Snowflake. They’ve carried endless copies of the Book of Mormon, biked miles on end and moved more houses than I will ever live in. They’ve tracked through blistering sun, pouring rain, and smog. They’ve witnesses the visit of several apostles, the change of mission presidents, and most importantly the conversion and baptism of many humble people.

They love to play basketball with the youth, bike to lessons, jump with joy when someone says yes, and rest beside the bed at night. They’ve been in the jaws of a vicious dog and within the walls of the sacred temple. They’ve seen miracles constantly and gone through heaven and hell daily. They have passed through many unexpected trails and uncountable beautiful experiences. But most important is that through all this walking, sweating, crying and laughing they have followed a path that will lead them to eternal happiness. They have followed the same path that two beat-up sandals followed in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago. They have followed the path of the Master. They have taken up their cross for the love of the Arizona people, just as those two sandals covered in blood, took up their cross for the love of all mankind. And just as those sandals, these shoes have found that as they have lost their life in the service of others, they have truly found themselves. They have found eternal joy bigger than this world can provide. They have found that it’s not what’s on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside of the soul.

And despite all they have been though, their favorite time and place is early in the morning and late at night, face down on the cement floor, praying to their eternal and loving Father, and their Brother and Master who showed the path for all shoes to follow back to their creator, who paved that path with blood and tears, making it possible for all to return. These shoes aren’t just for two years but are ready to walk to the ends of the earth and through all eternities to follow that path and help others to find it. I love these shoes, my mission, and I love my Savior. I know he lives! I love this work!

I remember a story Brigham Young told. He was visiting a young lady on her death bed. Early in life she had given up hope for a future of schooling and family of her own. Selflessly she went to work to support her family when her mother died and left them orphans. She had spent her short life working with her hands to feed her five brothers. She asked President Young “how will the Lord recognize me as his servant?” President Young said, “Show him your hands.” When I return to my Maker, I’m going to show him my shoes.