Giving the Shoes off Your Feet

By Clare Pursch, UGM Camp Photographer/Blogger

“These are the only shoes I have. And they hurt.”

These words were spoken to me by one of my campers last week—a 12-year-old boy, full of life, full of wonder, so kind, and limping around in a pair of sandals that could barely pass as shoes.

I had noticed the first day that both Wesley and his twin brother, Xavier, who had also come to UGM Camp with him, were not wearing tennis shoes like the rest of the boys, and as camp went on, I could see pain in their steps as we went throughout challenge course everyday. It was by the third day that Wesley told me how much his feet were hurting.

He didn’t say it with a spirit of grumbling and complaining; he said it with a matter-of-fact tone. He mentioned to me that he had one other pair of shoes, but that his mom wouldn’t let him bring them to camp because they were set aside for only special occasions. He then went on to explain that his shoes at home also really hurt because they are a size too small, but he didn’t want to tell his mom because he knows it would make her sad and stressed. It was obvious to me how deeply this boy loved his mother and how his main goal was to make her happy, even if he was in pain.

I asked Wesley if it would be okay if I took him to the clothing cabin here at camp later that day to find a pair of tennis shoes that he could take home. His face lit up and he said shyly, “I would love that."

Later that afternoon, I took Wesley to the clothing cabin, but unfortunately, we were unable to find any tennis shoes that would fit him. Looking into his eyes to tell him I couldn’t find any shoes his size was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. He brushed it off like it was no big deal and went on his way. But I wasn't ready to give up quite yet. 

That night during staff debrief, I told my fellow team members the story, and almost immediately,  Jonah Weddle (the camp administrators' middle son) spoke up and told me I could give Wesley a pair of his shoes. After the meeting, I walked with the Weddles back to their house to retrieve the shoes. Thirty minutes later, I came out with a box of four pairs of shoes. Both Jonah and Kody, his older brother, saw the need and sacrificially gave up their belongings for another set of brothers. They gave up their shoes without a second thought. How rare it is to see such sacrificial love lived out in tangible action.

I went up the hill and found Xavier and Wesley along with their cabin leader. I took them into the chapel and told them that I had found shoes for them after all, thanks to a couple of very selfless teenage boys.

The way their eyes lit up as I opened that box full of shoes is a sight that I will never forget. Their joy was unfathomable; their excitement illuminated the room.

They sat down and tried on the shoes, and amazingly enough, they were a perfect fit. All four pairs. They even had a little space to grow! Wesley put on his new shoes, kicked his old sandals aside, and began to run around the chapel, exclaiming how amazing it felt to be able to run without pain in his feet. Xavier talked about how excited he was to bring the extra pairs of shoes home for his little siblings to wear when they get older.

The overwhelming feeling of joy that I felt in that moment cannot be compared to any other moment in my life. Seeing that weight lift from their young shoulders, seeing pure joy illuminate their eyes, watching as they allowed themselves to be little boys in that moment…. It is something I will never, ever forget.

They thanked me and then bounded up the hill. They were no longer in pain—they were happy and free.

I was reminded in that moment of Christ’s incredible sovereignty. He knew their need and He fulfilled it beautifully.

I hope every time those boys look down at their new shoes that they remember the incredible love that Jesus has for them.

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