The Parable of the shoes

Recently, I have had the experience of dating, or being very close to a member of the opposite sex and then within a month or two watching them be engaged or married to someone else. After it happened again yesterday I found myself going into a selfish mode wondering what on earth was wrong with me that I wasn't good enough to marry, but then the very next girl was. As I sat pondering and praying about this topic a thought came to my mind. I thought about shoes. (Well originally socks, but it progressed into shoes..)

When you go to wear your shoes you typically get two of the same kind. Two boots, or two flip flops, etc. While both are good shoes and have value protecting your feet, they both have different purposes and goals behind them. Some you wear to the beach, while others you perhaps wear to the temple. Typically you don't wear one boot and one sandal. While you could, it would slow your progress and make life very frustrating and unbalanced for you. 

 Shoes like people come in all different shapes, styles, and colors. Just because they are different doesn't mean that they are less valuable. I love my sandals just as much as my tennis shoes. I don't however like to wear one of each. It would cause to me stumble, perhaps trip, or at least be frustrated. 
Similarly, we don't want two of the exact same shoe. Two left shoes will not be as productive as a left shoe and a right shoe. Working together they accomplish their goal and keep us progressing and happy. 

I think that is what we are looking for in dating. We don't want an exact replica or ourselves, nor do we want someone that is not the right match for us. We should be finding the right shoe to our left in the same style. 

Now, shoes also are created in mass. There will be several hundred of the same shoe made. Maybe 2000 black left shoes. So what I am adding is that there is not one right match. There is a right match that gets put in the box before it is put on the shelf to be sold. We aren't looking for a needle in a haystack. We are looking for a right shoe in a pile of shoes. 

That having been said, sometimes one of the pair of our shoes seems to be lost or missing. We don't stop and sit on the floor waiting to go to work or school. We keep progressing.  We also keep looking. We are determined to find it. Even though your matching shoe may not be with you yet. He or She is out there. Everyone has been created with a match. Heavenly Father is the perfect shoemaker and he doesn't forget about any one of us. There is a match out there for us all. 


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