On March 4th, my dad would have celebrated his 96th birthday. Every year about that time I have a couple memories that flash up. Here's one:
When I was a kid ( I was number 7 of 8) and since I had two brothers ahead of me, I got a ton of hand me downs. My dresser drawer was a Good Will store about to be born!
But one Easter, Mom and Dad bought me new tennis shoes! They were all white and on the side of the soul they said, "KEDS". After church dad told me to come w him into the backyard, and with my whole family watching out the back window, he told me he wanted to time me in the 20-yard dash. While I was stretching for the big time trial, Dad pulled me aside (just like a real coach) and gave me a pep talk. "Run like there's a 25 mph Dakota Gust at your back, Brook. Make those shoes dance like the Easter Bunny! And, whatever you do, don't look back!"
And with that advice in my heart, I was off! I swear I burned a hole in that spring grass that day! And to this day I can see my dad standing on that Easter fresh grass cheering me on and all my family watching from the back window. I had danced with the Easter Bunny!
That night I laid out my outfit for school the next day. On top of my clothes were those all-white KEDS. But, when mom came in my room for prayers, she took a look at those shoes and asked, “What are those shoes doing here, Brook? Those are Sunday shoes only. They go in your Sunday drawer." She picked up my new shoes and put them in the Sunday drawer. Then, she reached under my bed and pulled out my old "Good Will" brand junkers.
As I gazed at those old junkers on top of my school shoes, I have to admit a couple tears trickled down my cheek. Those shoes just didn't fit me. They were 2 sizes too big and there was a great big hole in the toe. But then I came up with a plan. And all night long I tossed and turned about it, because it was a plan that was going to break all the rules.
That next morning, I didn't go down to breakfast, and right before we were supposed to head out to school, I put on my Easter shoes, slipped out the back door, and sprinted towards the school. All the while I ran, I made sure to make lots of noise, because I didn't want to hear Mom telling me to come back home and change shoes. Her voice was powerful like that! If I heard it, I almost for sure would have turned back!
But, alas, I didn't hear her voice. And as I headed into the school, I held my head high. After all, I was breaking her rules for a reason! You see every Monday for morning recess we had a race around the playground. And every week Russ Klosterman, the principal's kid, beat me. But, with these new Easter shoes, who knew? Maybe, just maybe, I could win!
As we lined up for the race, I made sure I stood right next to Russ. He smiled down at me (he was about 8 inches taller than me) in expectation of another win! As he looked down, he looked at my shoes and laughed. "What are those, your new Easter shoes? I grew out of KEDS when I was three, McBride!"
Just then the teacher yelled "Go!" and I was off dancing with the Easter Bunny! The whole time I ran I could hear my dad’s words: "Run like there's a 25 m.p.h. Dakota Gust of wind at your back, Brook. Make those shoes dance like the Easter bunny! And don’t ever look back!”
And guess what? I didn't. I ran as if the wind was a Dakota 25 mph Guster right on my back. I ran with the Easter Bunnies. And I never once looked back! And in the end...I won!!!
That afternoon I stepped into the house and looked down at my shoes! Yikes! It had been a typical spring day in the Dakotas. There was still snow in spots and every inch of the green grass was extremely wet. And with the wet came mud! My shoes were covered!
Mom took one look at those shoes and ordered me to take them off and head up to my room. When dad came home from work, he came upstairs with not one, but two old toothbrushes and some detergent and those muddy KEDS in his hand. He got down on his knees and helped me scrub those KEDS up. And, as we were working on those shoes, I said, “Mom says I can’t ever wear these shoes to school again. Only on Sunday!” Dad calmed me down and said, “I know. How did you do in the race?”
“I won”
He smiled, "Well I tell you what. We scrub these up real good, and you promise to wash the dishes all week without complaining, and maybe just maybe we can work out a deal where you can wear your Easter shoes on Sundays and Mondays only!"
The next Monday, and every Monday thereafter, I wore my Easter shoes to school, and every Monday I won!
Looking back, I’m sure it wasn’t the shoes that did it. But the voice that came with them that reminded me to run like a mph Dakota Gust was at my back. A voice that believed in me. A voice that loved me enough to go to bat for me. A voice that truly became the wind on my back for years to come. And a family that was always there to cheer me on.
By the way, before each race, Russ never failed to make fun of those shoes. But after the race, he was nothing but silence.
Your friend, and pastor, still hearing those words as I run, Brook
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