Huaraches drawing
My drawing “Huaraches for Him” originated on a trip up into the foothills of the Western Sierra Madre foothills. My friend and I had stopped in a small village to buy something cold to drink. There happened to be a shoe repair shop nearby and I could see the cobbler weaving a pair of huaraches inside. Soon I was irresistibly drawn into the dimly lit room.
I was amazed as I watched him take the long slender strips of leather in his hands and skillfully weave each sandal. It was as though his fingers were performing a beautifully choreographed dance handed down from father to son. These huaraches, as they are called, lead a long life of hard service, carrying their owner over cobblestones, cornstalks, gullies and mountain trails. Over time, they even mold themselves to the shape of his feet!
My mind wandered
I began thinking about the sandals that Jesus wore. For the cobbler it was probably just one more pair in an endless line of pairs that he had made in his lifetime. He was only doing his job, but maybe
when he made the pair for Jesus his outlook changed. Maybe for the first time he saw his work
as something noble, as something of service towards God and his fellow man. Perhaps he
started taking more pride in what he was doing. It could be that he made an extra pair of
sandals even when it was inconvenient because someone had a special need. Perhaps he even
stopped thinking about the bottom line and started to hand out pairs to the poor! Is it too much
of a stretch to imagine that he even began to hum and whistle as he worked? Who knows?!
I do know that when we perform our ordinary everyday activities with Jesus in mind, they
become holy, set apart, and life ceases to be mundane. How life-changing it is when we realize
that whatever we do, driven by love for Him and for others, lasts for all eternity!
1 Corinthians 10:31
By Sherilyn Rivera
