Shoes

I have thought about something that had happened when we had our mission wide conference.  Previous to the meeting President Stoker met with the zone leaders and told them that they were to let all the missionaries know that they were to make sure they came to that conference looking their best and with their shoes shined.  The missionaries all came with shined shoes and were definitely looking there best. When my dad died he had a brand new pair of dress shoes and since none of his sons or grandsons wore his size I ended up keeping them.  Every time I see those shoes I think about my dad.  He always kept his shoes shined.  He told me that just before his mother died when he was nine years old she had him come in and told  him to keep his hair combed and always shine his shoes.  My dad was a bricklayer and his work boots were always covered with mud and concrete but on the weekends he wore newly shined shoes--and his hair was always clean and combed.  Little things really do make a difference and words spoken can impact us for the rest of our lives.