Amid the hustle and bustle of the
Christmas season take a little time to read this tearful and heartwarming tale
by Donna VanLiere. You’ll be glad you did. It will put the “reason for the
season” into perspective, remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and it
will revolutionize your shopping experience. I’m not saying this book will make
the Christmas crowds more pleasant, but it might just change your viewpoint and
perhaps cause you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
The Christmas Shoes tells the story of two families whose lives unknowingly intersect and
are permanently changed.
The narrator of this tale is told
through the point of view of Robert Layton, an ambitious, 80 plus hour-a-week
lawyer. He works hard to provide his wife, Kate and two school-aged daughters,
Hannah and Lily the type of lifestyle he thinks they want and deserve.
By contrast, the Andrews family is
preparing for heartbreak. Beautiful, Maggie Andrews their beloved wife and
mother, is in the final stages of an aggressive and rare ovarian cancer. This
Christmas season is the last she’ll spend with her family. Jack Andrews is an
honest and dependable car mechanic trying to provide for his family. Unlike the
Layton family, the Andrews’ family is not well-off. They are considered lower
income-middle class. Like the Layton’s, the Andrews also have two children; an
eight-year-old son, Nathan and a toddler daughter, Rachel. Despite the
sorrowful times the family is going through; love and laughter still abound in
the home.
Christmas Eve night, Robert bumps
into Nathan Andrews at Wilson’s Department Store not realizing that this little
boy’s life will be forever altered. “He turned around and said, “Sir, I need to
buy those shoes for my mother,” his voice shaking. I was startled to see the
child talking to me. I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. “She’s
not feeling very good, and when we were eating dinner my dad said that Mama
might leave to see Jesus tonight….This kid was no scam artist, somehow I knew
that. I looked into his wide eyes and something happened to me in that moment.
A pair of shoes to meet Jesus in. This child is losing his mother.” (VanLiere,
90-91).
This seemingly short and simple
moment connects the two families and changes their future Christmases as well
as the rest of their lives. It proves how connected we all are and just how
powerful our actions can be. The smallest purchase can carry many layers of
impact. We all have moments where we “know” something about our fellow
man. In these instances, we have an
opportunity to catch a glimpse of and connect with our fellow man on a deeper
level.
After reading this book, I’m certain
you’ll approach your shopping differently. This book is so well-written and
poignant you won’t be able to escape it!
“If we’re open to it, God can use
even the smallest thing to change our lives…to change us. It might be a
laughing child, car brakes that need fixing, a sale on pot roast, a cloudless
sky, a trip to the wood to cut down a Christmas tree, a school teacher, a
Dunhill Billiard pipe…or even a pair of shoes.” (VanLiere, 130).
** I’m extremely honored to be asked to write a special Christmas guest blog for the lovely and talented ladies of SHE Changes Everything. SHE is a wonderful and empowering movement started by two vivacious and passionate women who are dedicated to helping women life their best life- Sustainable, Healthy, and Ethical.
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