Joseph Henry used to tell a rather strange story about his childhood. His grandmother paid a cobbler to make him a pair of shoes.

The man measured his feet and told Joseph that he could choose between two styles: a rounded toe or a square toe. Little Joseph couldn’t decide. It seemed to be such a huge decision; after all, they would become his only pair of shoes for a long time.

The cobbler allowed him to take a couple of days to make up his mind. Day after day, Joseph went into the shop, sometimes three or four times a day! Each time he looked over the cobbler’s shoes and tried to decide. The round-toed shoes were more practical, but the square toes looked more fashionable. He continued to procrastinate. He wanted to make up his mind, but he just couldn’t decide!

Finally, one day he went into the shop and the cobbler handed him a parcel wrapped in brown paper. His new shoes! He raced home. He tore off the wrapping and found a beautiful pair of leather shoes — one with a rounded toe and the other with a square toe!

Joseph learned a difficult lesson about decisions: if we don’t make them ourselves, others will make them for us. And wholeness in life can only come about when we take full responsibility for the choices we make.

Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.

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