Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: SOUL / SOLE (03/02/23)
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TITLE: Sole Winners at the Fair | Previous Challenge Entry
By Donna Powers
03/06/23 -
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I was reading about a wedding my cousin had attended. I didn’t know the bride or the groom, but I liked her dress.
Her dress was what caught my eye, but what kept me reading was another thing she and her groom had done.
It seems there’s this trending custom of the bride and groom writing inspirational messages to each other; on the soles of their shoes.
This particular couple had chosen to write, “I step into forever with you,” on their soles - with permanent marker. Both had also written the date on the soles.
I thought that was sweet. And it also gave me an idea.
I’m in charge of our church’s AWANA group. It’s a group for children. We teach them about the Bible and living for Jesus.
I have a lot of fun working with those kids, and I am also blessed to be working with a team of godly men and women who are part of that ministry.
One of the projects we’ve been working on is our church’s Bible story tent at the upcoming County Fair. I knew I wanted the AWANA kids to participate in the event, but I hadn’t yet developed a concrete idea. Cute little kids giving away free Bible story tickets might work, but it seemed like a tame idea.
It had also been a bit of a chore to convince the kids to take an hour or two of their time at the fair to give out free tickets to the Bible story tent.
But what if they could do more? Or - at least- feel as if they were doing more?
What if they carried a part of the Good News wherever they went, at the fair? What if God’s Word wasn’t only inscribed in their hearts and on their tongues? What if they - literally- carried the Word with them across every inch of the Fairgrounds?
Two weeks before the Fair, I pitched the idea to my fellow leaders, and they enthusiastically embraced it. The kids seemed excited, too.
I made it clear they needed to get their parents’ okay before they marked up the soles of their sneakers.
The following week, every AWANA member- and all the leaders- found themselves enjoying the task of choosing the right words to write.
The night of the Fair, I was happy to watch the groups of AWANA kids move out. I had a sense, like never before, that we were carrying God’s Word to our community. Even as the kids enjoyed the activities at the Fair, they’d be carrying His message with them.
There was Miriam Morris with her brother, Caleb. I knew the gregarious Miriam had penned all the words of John 3:16 on the bottom of her sneakers while her shyer brother had opted for a simple “God Loves You.”
The Parker triplets (Mandy, Candy and
Sandy), who always enjoyed being the best at memory verses, had scripted as much of Psalm 119 on their shoes as possible.
Most kids chose one line or two, but all understood - and seemed to draw strength from - the sacred words they’d inscribed on their shoes.
I saw red-headed Derek Simms as he was walking toward the Ferris Wheel. He was smiling as he told me, “I like this. I feel like I’m marking this territory for God. I don’t even have to talk - because I am bringing His Words with me.”
That night, our Bible story tent was overflowing, and we’d rejoiced with many kids who asked to pray for salvation. All I could do was to thank the Lord for the inspiration- and to pray for direction on what steps we would take next as we reaped the harvest of souls that had been gathered in by our soles.
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Deuteronomy 11:24a “Every place where you set your foot will be yours:”
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