They were battered and worn, these old boots. Bought fresh out of college by a young man whose friends often considered him a cowboy, these boots immediately became his footwear of choice for every occasion: hiking to riding to dancing; even symphonies and weddings.
Not exotic in style or material, just a simple brown leather with traditional cowboy heel, but sturdy and well-made, these old boots. Miles and miles of daily wear over nearly 12 years, through snow and ice, mud and dust, on the streets and hitting the dance floors.
The squared toes were bruised, muddied, scuffed and scarred many times along the way on these old boots. Over the years various parts of the boots worn down; the young man replaced the heels at least 3 times, and bought new insoles probably 4 times or more to keep them wearable.
Somewhere along the way, the young man had learned to maintain his boots by rubbing them down with oil after cleaning them of mud or debris. The oil prolonged the life and integrity of the leather, and over the years, he lost count how many times he cleaned and oiled these old boots.
He cared for them diligently, regularly rubbing them down to minimize scuffs, scratches, and other signs of wear, restoring the leather’s appearance. It kept the leather soft and inside dry, and overtime the outside became more resistant to water, snow, and mud on these old boots.
Still going steady after 12 years, the entire bottom sole plus the heel had just been replaced, and one day while rubbing down the leather, the young man noticed something for the first time: more than just preserving the leather’s life, the oil had given new character to these old boots.
The old textures were smoother, even while scuffs and scratches created new textures after the scars were rubbed out. The brown acquired a deeper, richer color and the leather developed an elegant sheen. The leather was original, but no longer the same on these old boots.
It was then the young man appreciated the similarity between the care his Heavenly Father gives to His children and the care given to these old boots. Throughout the years, the Father had done the same for the young man on the inside, often without the young man noticing.
The Father purified the young man’s heart with the blood of His Son, and set to work on sanctifying his soul through the Spirit. The gracious and merciful work of the Spirit continually preserved the young man’s life and mind through danger, loneliness, and despair.
But again, like the oil, the work of the Spirit transcends preservation; continually rubbing out the scars, scuffs, and scratches of sin, new character emerged. Old regrets, pain, anger, doubts, indifference, and pride were displaced by a deeper, richer faith, full of joy and delight in the Lord.
