I was recently reading an articleabout how those goofy looking “toning” shoes may just become the next “big thing” in women’s athletic footwear.  (yeah…I know…I need a life- there’s just no telling what will catch my attention,)

While I was reading about how over 100 million dollars worth of these clumsy looking shoes are being sold each year I was thinking two things.

  1.  I’m glad I’m a dude and don’t have to worry about “toned” legs cause I seriously would not want to wear those. 

 2.  Doesn’t anyone else find it even slightly ironic that the shoes that are supposed to be “healthy”have to make you look at least  a little physically  “challenged” when you wear them?

Then I read this about how toning shoes “work”:   “The (shoe) category is focused on two basic concepts. The first involves simulating walking on a soft surface, causing the wearer to use muscles not normally used when walking on hard surfaces. The second involves creating instability, causing the wearer to engage muscles in order to balance.”

Creating “instability” makes you use muscles you normally don’t use and makes you stronger?  Walking on an  “uneven” difficult surface actually makes you more fit?  It made me wonder if that’s why our Father in Heaven seems to allow “instability” in the “paths” of so many of his followers.  Does God allow the “surface” we walk in our lives to be “uneven” and difficult so that we can “use muscles we don’t normally use” and become stronger?   Are the difficult times more of a “training regimen” than a punishment?   It wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Thank you God for difficult paths we have to walk.  Thank you for the “uneven”, unstable times, they make us more balanced and stronger.  Thank you God that you do all of this for us without us having to purchase (or wear) those goofy looking shoes…