On any given Friday night, there is a pile of shoes in our entryway. My son's friends know the drill. Friday nights are okay for hanging out at our house, Saturday nights are not and shoes come off when they enter the house. For the entire time we have lived in Northville, I have observed these piles of shoes. Sometimes they are just boys tennis shoes. Often girls sandals and other casual shoes enter the pile. Sometimes the pile is large and sometimes it is small.
Since my son is now a senior, I know that the piles of shoes will soon be a part of family history. I wish I had photographed these artistic displays of teenage footwear. Now I will just be able to get a few pictures between now and the end of the year. I often pray for the owners of these shoes even though I may not know them all by name. Being a young person in this uncertain world is no easy matter. What kind of future are they walking into? A future in which employment is not guaranteed, a future in which they may or may not have health care, a future in which funding for public education is deteriorating faster than the snow melts in spring... Despite all of this, they maintain a sense of humor and a sense of hopefulness.
One pair of shoes is at our house much more than any of the other shoes that show up on a periodic basis. The owner of these shoes has all but moved in with us because of a difficult relationship with both sets of divorced parents. He is a good kid and works hard when he is here during chore time. His future is very uncertain. I worry about all of these kids even though I know worrying is not helpful for anyone, most especially the one who worries. When I am able to turn the worry over to God, I am able to move on with my daily life. In the end, that is all we can do.
