Bridging The Gap in my Red Shoes

Written by: Taya McLoud

I was wearing my red shoes.

I purchased the red Puma sneakers because I knew whenever I’d wear them and look down, the color would remind me of Jesus’s blood being shed for me. It was just one more way to have Jesus fill every nook and cranny of my life. Soon the shoes were packed for my Uganda trip. Our team would be spending time at both of the God Cares School campuses as well as within various communities. If anyone asked about my bright red sneakers, I figured they would be a great way to bring up the topic of Jesus. Little did I know that when I arrived in Uganda, I did not need my shoes or anything else to transition to the topic of Jesus. Jesus, I found out, was already deeply rooted in this beautiful country. He wasn’t merely a topic for discussion. He was a beloved member!

From the beginning of the Lighthouse Church team trip to the end, I experienced Jesus in practically everything at both campuses of God Cares School. He was in the firm hug of a teacher welcoming me into her classroom. He was in the bold, enthusiastic worship voices behind the microphone at chapel. He was in the quick, but careful hands of a school cook who worked to feed hundreds of students, but still warmly welcomed me into the kitchen to chat. He was in the full brown children’s eyes that spied me and came racing over to grab my hands. He was in the faithful comment of a Dongo family member as he stated matter of fact, “We believe God will provide.”

He was in the nurse’s tender care of the cut on my finger, even though her medical supplies were scarce. I could go on and on…

Not only did I see Jesus in God Cares Schools, I saw overwhelming evidence of Him in the communities. God was present on the billboards and in the names of businesses. His name was literally tacked up on the walls of homes in the slums where many of the God Cares children go home each evening. His name was written, spoken, and sung with joy and confidence every time I turned around.

I was humbled. I was shown that when you cling so tightly to Jesus that he’s in every breath and action you take, you don’t need shoes to remind you of Him and what He did for us. Here I was coming to God Cares School to teach and share the love of Jesus, yet I was the one who was being ministered to.

My red shoes reside in Uganda now. I left them for someone else to wear. I hope that they’ll be worn by “the least of these” and that they give comfort and protection to that person’s feet. And even though I pray that the person who wears them already has a relationship with Jesus, if they don’t, I believe they will. And it probably won’t be because they’ll relate the color of the shoes to Jesus’s sacrifice. Instead, Uganda’s people will unashamedly share the message. It’s what they do. Thank you Uganda, and thank you God Cares Schools, for your hearty example of what it means to be followers of Jesus