Climbing Shoes

Ephesians 6:15

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Joshua Tree National Park is one of my most loved places on earth. It is only about a two hour drive from our current home. The best part of the park is the Wonderland of Rocks. My brother and I go there as often as we can get an excuse. We often have a number of friends or acquaintances with us since they provide the needed excuse.

We love to scramble around on the vast boulders ranging in size from the dimensions of a car on up to a small mountain. Many years ago we went there with Mark and Jeff who did a lot of technical climbing with several thousand dollars worth of equipment. We always do free climbing—with no extra equipment. They enjoyed the extra challenge of climbing with us using no equipment. Naturally we didn’t do some climbs that really required a rope and other gear for safety.

At one point when we had climbed a particularly challenging climb and Mark had walked up it while our shoes slipped on the steep slope, Mark said to us, “Have you thought of using special shoes that grip the granite better?”

“No.” We weren’t aware that there were comfortable shoes designed for climbing. He told us about approach shoes made by Five-Ten^® especially for the type of climbing we were doing.

“Jeff and I were afraid to mention them to you. You climb things we wouldn’t climb with ordinary tennies, and we were afraid you’d take greater chances and might fall.” He went on to tell us of an outlet in Redlands where we could get the shoes at a price that made them as affordable as street shoes.

Since then we have enjoyed the added security of shoes specifically designed for rocks, shoes that make climbing an even greater joy. They make some climbs possible that were previously impossible.

In our verse Paul recommends the Gospel of Peace as the best shoes for walking through life. This footwear is designed to give us the most security and greatest enjoyment in our lives.

Thank You, Lord, for Your gracious gift of the Good News of Jesus Christ that makes a better life possible for us.

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