Inspire, Winter 2005

Inspire 19 Jack Legg is a freshman youth ministries major who took part in a recent Fall Break hurricane relief trip to New Orleans. The work boots he bought for the trip made more of a difference than he could have imagined. Following is his story about the experience. T wo weeks prior to leaving for New Orleans to assist with hurricane relief, I went shopping to buy some supplies for my trip. After hearing of the conditions in the city where I’d be working, I decided that I would need some strong work boots. After shopping around for a while, I found the perfect pair. They were strong leather boots. Not only were they steel-toed and waterproof, but they were extremely comfortable as well. Really, these were some great boots. I loved them. I paid for the pair, and, pleased with my success in boot shopping, purchased some other supplies and returned to campus to wait for the trip to commence during Fall Break. Upon arriving in New Orleans, we met up with the church we’d be working with. The team I was assigned to would be working with CAM International, a missionary organization which ministers to Central American immigrants in the New Orleans area. We were sent into a Spanish-speaking community to help families as they tore down their homes and cleaned up mold for rebuilding. Over the next three days, we removed moldy sheet rock, waterlogged ceilings, and contaminated flooring. Essentially, we gutted the homes until the insides were on the outside. The work was hard, and everyone on my team did their very best. By the end of the week, many things had been accomplished. Prior to leaving for the trip, there were concerns that shoes worn at the work sites would not be worth bringing home again, so I was quite pleased at the end of three days to see that my boots were in good condition. They were still top quality, except for a little dust and grime from the homes and yards I’d been in. As the third day of work came to a close, I felt that my new boots would be good for many more months of use. I really had made a good choice in buying them. But as I loaded debris into a wheelbarrow at the final house, I became unsettled. For some reason, I could not stop thinking about the boots. I felt a tremendous need to get rid of them somehow. There was no reason why I couldn’t keep them, but I felt the urge to part with them. I didn’t know why or how, but I wanted to leave the boots in New Orleans. Boots for His Purpose b y J a c k L e g g ’ 0 9 I looked across the street and saw that one of the missionary workers from CAM International was pulling up in his truck to help on the work site. Keep in mind, I had never met this man in person nor had I ever spoken to him. I just knew who he was because he had been introduced in front of the group. As I stood there working, I still had my boots on my mind. I continued working for a few minutes, and finally, being confused over my preoccupation with my footwear, I found myself approaching the man. As usual, I had no idea what I was doing. I said, “Hey, do you think someone at the church could use a pair of work boots if I left them behind?” I pointed to my boots. He said, “Yes. Actually, I could use some boots like that.” He paused and lifted his foot so I could see his shoes. They were old tennis shoes, full of holes and falling apart. “What size are they?” he asked with a somewhat skeptical tone. Judging by my height compared to his, I don’t think he thought there was the slightest chance that our feet were the same size. Really, neither did I. “Size 12,” I answered. He was quiet for a moment. “That’s my size.” So, I took off the boots and gave them to him. I went back to the bus and put on my tennis shoes and returned to the work site to finish up the work so my team could head home. I was sort of stunned over the encounter. Most people said, “Gee, what a coincidence.” That wasn’t enough for me. Think about it — what are the odds that, on a whim, I would approach a random stranger and ask him if he knew anyone who needed boots? What are the odds that the first person I approached would be in desperate need of boots? Further still, what are the odds that this person would be in need of the very size I was wearing? I am convinced God sent me to New Orleans to give that man a pair of boots. God had that pair of boots specially made for His own purpose. When I went to the store, God had that pair of boots in mind for me to wear for three days of labor, and He had those same boots in mind for a man in New Orleans whom I had never met and will probably never see again on this side of glory. Some may think I am making too much out of a single pair of boots, but I think not. God does work in amazing ways on a daily basis. There is no such thing as a coincidence. If we want to see God at work in our lives, all we have to do is open our eyes.