THE PARABLE OF SHOES

THE PARABLE OF SHOES

Thursday, April 20, 2017

1John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

  Gertrude and Norman attended the same high school as Sabrina. But they were drastically different in culture and were deemed so by Sabrina’s “My people.” Sabrina and her people were the epitome of fun and fashion. They cruelly labeled Gertrude the Geek and Norman the Nerd.

  Though close intellectual pal with Gertrude, Norman longed for Sabrina. He dreamed of someday marrying her and being happy ever after. This was not what happened. Sabrina married the captain of their school football team.

  Norman and Gertrude graduated with high honors, and after completing college soon decided “Hey, why not continue our closeness in marriage.” It wasn’t long before their home included 3 cerebral analytical children. All went well, organized, high bracket earnings, mortgage soon paid off et al. Nice.

  Sabrina and Jack never got over high school. Party and vacation were two top words in their vocabulary, which of course included “worrisome debt”.

  Norman saw Sabrina at the supermarket one day staring at a head of lettuce and his old sappy teen feelings for her surged. Though he didn’t acknowledge his presence, Norman developed the habit of driving by her house on the way to and from his business. His constant brain refrain being “I wish I was in Jack’s shoes!”

  Though warned about the effect of his affection for booze, Jack ceased not. Though only 35, he died.

  Reading Jack’s obituary Norman formulated a plan. First he espied Sabrina’s routines. Then he timed happenchance encounters while meanwhile eroding his marriage. Then there was that first cup of coffee carefully followed by using his wealth to wine, dine, clad, and transport Sabrina. Then he informed weary Gertrude that he was having an affair and didn’t love her any more. He quickly had his lawyer, a groupie lower classman from high school, draw up a lucrative divorce agreement that Gertrude readily agreed to.

  Sabrina readily agreed to marry Norman. He spent freely setting up a palatial lifestyle.

  After a few months Norman began driving by the cemetery morning and evening, repeating his “I wish I was in Jack’s shoes!”

EBB4, James 4:1-10