When my grandfather died, I brought home a pair of his cowboy boots. I had expectations of wearing them with pride for any and all occasions. I put them on and well …. he had worn them so much, that the soles had molded to the curves of his feet. No matter how determined I was, they hurt too much to wear.
Someone’s shoes are hard to fill. They are also hard to imagine wearing, mostly because we want them to fit. So imaging that I am in the shoes of someone else requires me to let go of my own sense of self and my preferences. That’s difficult to do. I’m not sure I’m fully there yet.
The January 27th Art and Craft of Blogging weekly Writing Challenge from The Daily Press at WordPress.Com is to write from the perspective of being in someone’s shoes. Living in a small town and working in an industry where confidentiality is demanded, I’m choosing to write about someone in history. I recently bought a book called “The Westminster Dictionary of Theologians“. I decided to close my eyes, open the book, and point. My finger landed on Francisco de Encinas (1520-1552). I had never heard of him before.
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It’s harder to breath these days and I’ve found a new boil. They say its the plague. I’m in my mid thirties and facing death … again. At this point I’m struggling to find hope that I will recover. Nothing much to do these days, as I’m too weak to finish the translation … my passion, my calling, my purpose, my vision. I’m so close to finishing it. My people need the Scripture in their language! We’ve fought so hard. I’ve fought so hard.
I feel like Moses who couldn’t enter the promised land. David who couldn’t build the temple. Father, have I fallen short? Have I sinned against You? Is there some reason You are taking me home before I finish? It’s a bitter sweet thought, crossing over into eternity without finishing my race.
I remember when I started this journey. One of 10 kids destined to be wool merchant like my father. Those early years in Spain seem too far away. How did I get here from there? Its miraculous, really.
Miracles. I could use a miracle. I wonder if this is how Christ felt while hanging on the cross? “A esa hora Jesús gritó con fuerza: — ¡Eloí, Eloí! ¿lemá sabaqtaní? (que significa: “Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandonado?”).” Marcos 15:34 La Palabra.
I’m beginning to sound like David from Psalms. We have so much in common. Where did he get the courage to go up against Goliath in his youth? He was just a shepherd boy. Surely, the Holy Spirit.
That’s how I did it in the Vrunte prison. I was imprisoned for publishing the Scripture in Spanish. Crazy to think the Reformation started before I was born and persecution is still so much a part of my life. I survived a year of torture in that dark place. (I smile) I meditated on the Word and wrote out the translations in my mind. The prison doors opened for Paul and his chains fell off. I escaped. It was just a few years ago, although it seems like a lifetime. I can still smell the horrible stench.
I remember when Diego and I were called away from the family business and into ministry. I miss him so much. It’s been 5 years since his horrible death. I can still see his tortured body and the flames. Our Lord knew you were the stronger one, brother. If you only knew how important your work was and still is. Martin Luther was proud of you, too.
Will my children remember me when I’m gone? Is my wife proud of me? Did she ever truly understand the width and depth of what God called me to do? I think so. She was a religious exile just like me when we met. Oh, how I love her. Maybe this is why we’ve struggled so much, so she could be prepared now.
I can see her and our girls in our publishing house. Finally, a safe place to write and publish. No more traveling from country to country … Spain, Germany, Belgium, England and now France. I like France. My three ladies, in their beautiful dresses, picking lovely flowers and singing hymns. Finally, sleep is upon me. I will wake in eternity.
(Note: His wife Margaret died approximately a month later. )
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Following are contributions from other bloggers in this challenge. These are the pingpacks at the time of my post. For a complete list, see the Shoes Writing Challenge page.
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Perspectives | A mom’s blog
- Inside the head of a sporadic three year old | From One Crazy Life To Another
- Fifteen Year Old Me Is Disgusted | The Cheese Whines
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave your shoes at the door! | khaula mazhar
- The Curse of Personal Knowledge | Emotional Fitness
- Elvis Insults My Intelligence | Bumblepuppies
- Weekly Challenge: A Mile in your Fur | Confessions of a Nerdy Girl
- Weekly writing challenge – leave your shoes at the door | Susi Matters
- Let’s Do Something Amazing! | rarasaur
- DP weekly challenge – shoes – A morning in the life of sonny Jim. |
- That’s not me | Mort La Datorie
- In the mind of a dolphin kidnapper | In my world
- The Color Purple, Maybe/DPChallenge | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
- Other point of views – For the Dailypost | readsomethingdifferent
- My Parents’ Divorce: Weekly Word Challenge | Between Madness & Euphoria
- When is ‘now’ over so ‘later’ can start? | New tricks for old dogs
- Bête Noire | Paper Plane Pilots
- Appreciating my Parents after Rearing my own Children, DPchallenge | Angela McCauley
- Not All Shoes Fit The Same | The Chatter Blog
- in the middle of the night | The Matticus Kingdom
- The language barrier | Never Stationary
- Perhaps today will snow « Dancing with Fireflies
- A Day In The Life | Perceptive Pot Clueless Kettle
- Switching It Up: DP Weekly Challenge | The Tawny’s Blog
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes At The Door | imagination
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | Picayune Pieces
- Can you Imagine Being Gay? | Abstractions of Life
- Platonic Shift | Brain Droppings
- Leave Your Shoes At The Door: Memory Clinic | At least we made it this far…
- Introverts, Elephants | thanks for letting me autograph your cat
- Front Door Shoes | Wendy Karasin – Musings of a Boomer
- From Lima Beans To Turtles | Fish Of Gold
- Birthdays | This thing called, “Life.”
- Mommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Love.Books.Coffee.
- Sitting In a Pew | The Photo Faith Challenge
- A life not planned… | From diapers and tutus to meetings and boardrooms
- I Married a Handsome Fool (wife’s perspective from husband’s view) | Movie Hugs Will Kill You
- I lost my virginity in ugly underwear. | bethanyah
- A Speech Evaluation as Experienced from the Other Side of My Desk | Ginger’s Grocery
- “Lets Walk Without Our Shoes Down Childhood Memory Lane” | Just A Recovery Author Learning To Be A Better Writer
- Glimpses Into a Younger Me | missmoodygirl
- Can’t you see Things From my Point of View? | Humans Are Weird
- ON THE RIVER | Serendipity
- “He died while you were in the coma.” | Lauren Kells
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Betty | Posting Tuesdays. I am Grayson.
- Always Your Angel | My Muted Voice
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Sandals At The Door | Running Into Life
- In My Sister’s Shoes: The Weekly Writing Challenge | Exploring Pixie
- Tiptoes | asweetbrightthing
- In her shoes | The Word Trance
- Wearing someone else’s shoes even when they give you blisters | mummy flying solo
- I Love You Three, Mummy (DP WW Challenge) | farmerfarthing
- Upstaged by sunrise | litadoolan
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | The Undercover Princess
- Something That Endears Me To You | living my life
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | Perks of Being an Orchid
- Something That Allures Me To You | living my life
- Weekly writing challenge – leave your shoes at the door. | LEATHER & ABEL
- Weekly Writing Challenge; Leave Your Shoes at the Door | 2far2shout
- Perspective | Finale to an Entrance
- Tell me… | nightmare of daytime
- Adam Ickes | Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door
- From another point of view | Sue’s Trifles
- Three Women – No Heartbeat | The Cranky Giraffe
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | Of Glass & Paper
- (Your) Experience Isn’t Everything | ReFreshing Life
- A tale of two visions | Suddenly Single in Marin
- Weekly Writing Challenge ‘Leave Your Shoes at the Door’: Two different Prisons | Thoughts of an INFP
- I Need a Phone Call and Everything After | Running On Sober
- Leafy Shoes | Electronicbaglady’s Bag of Bits
- The Trials and Tributes of a Landlady | The Pen Speaks Better
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | rahul ranjan’s blog
- As She Watched | The Seeker’s Dungeon
- Housecleaning 1900′s Style | The Library Lady and Rosie Bear
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Hybrid | Musings of a Dancing Wino
- A matter of perspective | Stories from aside
- Time, Fleeting Love | Lead us from the Unreal to the Real
- Writing Challenge| Leave Your Shoes At The Door | Misadventures Of Me
- In someone else’s shoes… | The Fiction of Michael R. Wilson
- A Different Perspective | Niki’s Thoughts
- DP Weekly writing challenge- The morning meet of Mr Carrier bag and bag lady. |
- Kick ‘er ‘ead in! – Weekly Writing Challenge | alienorajt
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | Alizzze
- Fiction: The Typewriter |
- Going for the Kill (# 7) | Rolbos ©
- Leave your shoes at the door | elizabeth milligan
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | jwdwrites
- I lost my virginity in ugly underwear. Con’t… | bethanyah
- I’ve Stopped; They’re Still Trying | Ever Upward
- Stuff. — Is It a Mess? Or a Memory? Two Views of Socks, Dishes, Toys and Shoes » MommyVerbs
- Social Work Topics: Perspective | Welcome to Social Work
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave Your Shoes at the Door | Maranda Guerriero
- The Cafeteria | Lewis Cave
- She Says, He Says | pleaseleaveareply
- Leave Your Shoes at the Door | bottleandink
- Weekly Writing Challenge : Leave your Shoes at the Door – Me, Instructor and that Man! | simplyvegetarian777
- Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)