Once upon a time there was a young shoemaker. He was a very good shoemaker, with a lot of talent, and a lot of experience with doing shoes. The townspeople loved him. And the mayor of the city proudly wore a pair of the shoes the skillful young man had made. He was often quoted as saying, ‘This is my beloved shoemaker! In whom I am well pleased”.
The shoemaker was so pleased with the sayings of the mayor, for he had heard them often from many places, that each time he got a new client he would offer them an opportunity to custom design their own shoes. And he, in his brilliance and ability, would make the shoes to exactly their specifications. Time after time after time he turned out, faithfully, a finer pair of shoes.
One day, there came into the shop an old man. On his feet was a pair of old worn sandals; sandals which had obviously been worn over many a road, many a desert, and many town. The young shoemaker looked at those tired old shoes, and the worn out feet and said, “I can make you a better pair, old man, if you will but tell me your wish.”
The face of the ancient one went from smiling to sad. “What need have I for shoes better than these, young man? Am I not too old to care about new shoes, and have not these shoes cared for me better than a mother for her child?”
But sir, the shoemaker replied “I desire to be of service to you! And if you will but let me, I will make you the best pair of sandals that you have every worn. In fact, I will make them so that your feet will think they have been given new toes, and not shoes at all”. The old man sighed. But nodded his head in acceptance.
All night the shoemaker toiled. He cut the leathers, he fashioned the soles, he stitched the stitches and he glued the glues. When he had finished, he threw himself upon his favorite cushion and breathed the breath of a happy man. “Yes,” he said to himself “this is the finest pair of shoes, even if they be mere sandals, which I have ever made.”
The next day, the old man returned. The young man ran to meet him with great excitement; full of pride in what he had done. “Here, old man! The finest shoes you could possibly wear!” he said exuberantly.
The man put on the shoes. Then the man took off the shoes. “Young man,” he said, “I thank you for the attempt but they do not fit ME. Perhaps you would like to wear them yourself?” The young man couldn’t breath, his face filled with crimson, and he shouted, “But I made them for you!!” The old man replied, “I think you will find that you did not have me in mind at all when you made the shoes, for I can clearly see that they will only be comfortable to thee and not to such a lowly one as me.”
Moral: Sometimes, in life, we go from wanting to serve to wanting to be noticed; and in so doing we lose all the honor we would have received. Whatever you do, remember who you are doing it for! God gives the rewards which we deserve.
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M., Th.M.11/05/2000