Last Sunday I went shopping for my nieces’ birthday presents in the local department store. I had a few options up my sleeve and started at the children’s shoe section, in an attempt to find the requested ‘ballet’ shoes.

Neither of my nieces are getting ballet shoes for their birthday from their auntie this year.

The shoe racks were a mess. It did my head in.

It did my head in and I didn’t even have a toddler whining at me, like the women next to me in the aisle, also looking at shoes for little people. I was surprised she was still managing to make coherent sentences by the point in time that I decided to ‘just leave it’ and attempt to find another requested item instead.

The Bluey bento box was a much simpler choice. No disorganised racks to sort through. No hangers saying one size and then carrying a shoe of a completely different size (there was a lot of that). No limited available sizes either.

Just there on the shelf. A quick check that all the Bento bits were in there (and not been nicked off with) and I was done.

Lunchbox. Sorted.

Why am I telling you this? To have a rant at the adolescent workers who think it doesn’t matter whether they tidy the store properly or not?

Well, maybe.

Yet, it did strike me that when people who are supposed to serve don’t serve, things aren’t as simple as they should be. Everyone loses out (including the store, when you don’t make a purchase).

Christians often talk about ‘the body of Christ’ all working together and serving one another. It’s a beautiful image and a metaphor easy to understand.

However, putting it into action is another thing entirely. When we think that our service doesn’t matter or that someone else doesn’t need our service, then things can go horribly awry.

The Bible’s definition of sin includes the things that we leave undone that we should have done. Sometimes when we fail to serve others, it just causes people irritation. This was my experience in the shoe section.

However, other times when we fail to serve others, it can bring far greater grief. Sometimes we don’t realise we’ve missed an opportunity. Other times, we decide that we just can’t be bothered or that it’s too difficult.

Either way, we leave the person needing to be served out in the cold, perhaps metaphorically shoeless in their ongoing walk with Christ.

Perhaps this is something we all need to consider the next time we decide not to go the extra mile, which is what Jesus told us to do.

Yours in still seeking a pair of glittery ballet flats,

Alison