Flip flops have been all the rage for some time now. My daughters wear them everywhere. They seem to go with any outfit under any circumstance. It's all about comfort and color. They are inexpensive and come in a delectable array of hues. When I was young they were called "thongs." That has become a term that brings quite a different picture to mind.

I remember spending $1.97 on my last pair. I've had them for years. I wore them a great deal in the summer, but contrary to the womem in my home, I wear more sensible shoes when cooler temperatures arrive. I don't really understand the appeal of wearing shoes that bare your "piggies," while complaining about being cold. There is a fundamental contradiction here.

A month or so ago, I brought my daughters new flip flops from Mexico (probably made in China). I carefully chose a neutral color believing they would go with any outfit. Apparently they don't go with ANY outfit.

Oh well, no matter, they are not that expensive. You can afford to make mistakes at this level as they are minor in cost. I recently heard one of my daughters get silly with excitement over a pair Deanna gave to her (these were hand-me-downs). I thought the glee was authentic. A day later, after she went back to school, and I was watching the movers load the semi, I found those same shoes in a basket of things she "might use at a later date."

Again, no matter, it's an inexpensive issue.

I remember wearing my cheap pair to the hospital when we took Beej there. Day after day for six weeks I wore them. I remember thinking, I can see why they like these. They are easy to put on and take off. They are easy to stow, and they can be worn with anything (well almost). I had a problem though.

My pair had little grooves in the footbed. These little grooves were a magnet for unsavory aromas. It got downright offensive! I had to find a resolution.

My friend Sammy had done me a favor and bought me deodorant when I ran out. There was a problem though. It was the right brand, but the wrong type. I always use the kind that is blue and translucent. This was white, and powdery. Evertime I put on my clothes, I got white streaks on my shirts. I could not retrain myself to be careful.

I would walk out in the morning, and people would laugh at me. "You did it again," they'd say. They were right. How silly of me. White powder stripes on each shirt.

Finally, I got new deodorant, and I found a new use for the white powder variety. I stroked it into the footbed of my flip flops. Amazing results! Initially, they were slippery to walk in, but that didn't last... and neither did the unpleasantness.

You know, when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, God saw to it that their clothing and sandals never wore out (Deut. 29:5). That amazes me beyond words. I cannot fathom that very idea. I cannot keep shoes or clothes for anywhere near that long. Some of you remember my story about my father's shoes which I kept and wore for 12 years after his death. I had them resoled at least once. They were good shoes. I only wore those with dress clothes, and they did not last.

Forty years? Unbelievable! God makes provisions for his people while they experience the desert. He cares for us in our times of need. I love that about Him! It is truly hard to comprehend how He cares for us in such times.

We walked those hospital halls for six weeks. He took care of us in amazing ways. He reached out to us through many of you. Elsie Jay and Sammy bought us new clothes and washed the old, and kept us in necessary provisions. Big John brought breakfast everyday. Meals were provided by church members from three different bodies. We stand in awe of that kind of love. Truly, many of you took care of "the least of these."

My flip flops? After BJ died, and we were walking from the hospital to the car that last time, they broke.

dad