THE RED DANCING SHOES

The little red shoes set his feet to dancing!

One hot sunny day Lloyd and I drove across the large hustling city of Matamoros toward the poor colonias around the huge city dump. At each intersection we fought for the right of way, which seemed almost like bull fighting - bluffing, then hesitating, then shooting forward to be the first into the ring. Dented fenders on most cars attested to the fact that people dared each other many times to the point of collision. But we had learned how to shift here and there, turn up one street at the copper dishes for sale and down another at the fountain, to wind our way across town without incident. We were on a mission to distribute Illustrated Spanish New Testaments.


In one small neighborhood near the southern side of Matamoros there were small dwellings with little bare yards. Lots of children and dogs played in the streets. Every few houses there was a huge speed bump across the already rough lane, making the trip like an obstacle course. There was no danger in anyone speeding over these treacherous mounds of asphalt. Our Jeep complained loudly even at the slowest speeds.

Since we had prayed for direction to a neighborhood most in need of New Testaments, we both felt impressed that this was a good place to stop and visit. We had also brought a box of childrens shoes that had been sent to us. At one house where children played, a small boy ran around with nothing on but a bright yellow shirt. He was a quiet little boy, so shy he would barely look at us. "Looks like he needs a pair of shoes," Lloyd said. As the little boy's mother agreed, we proceeded to search in our box for just the right shoes for an almost naked three year old boy. "Maybe these little red ones," Lloyd suggested.

Setting him on the back of the Jeep, Lloyd slipped the tiny shoes on the dusty little feet and tied the white laces. Immediately we saw a bright gleam in his little black eyes. Hardly able to be still, he allowed us to help him down from the Jeep and then he took off in a hilarious and happy little dance around the yard! He jumped and he hopped up and down and he stamped his feet and he ran all the way around the little house. His mother couldn't catch him, he ran so fast, and his face was bright with one big happy grin. Every few steps he looked down at his new red shoes, and he giggled and danced with pure delight.

The simple little cloth tennis shoes were more than just shoes to this special little boy. They had become his "little red dancing shoes!"