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The Winning Shoes
Inspired by the original from 2004 then 2009
poem by Susan Y. Nikitenko
We’re all travelers in life’s great race,
Each on a path, each holding pace.
Some charge ahead with strength and might,
While others crawl through shadowed night.
Some run with laughter, some with pain—
Yet all are moving, sun or rain.
Not all who run know where they go,
Or what their footsteps truly show.
I’ve seen the boots of those who toil,
Their backs bent low, their hands in soil.
I’ve seen the heels of beauty’s game,
Chasing comfort, fortune, fame.
I’ve seen the flippers slap and slide,
Confused and wavering with the tide.
And loafers lounging through the day,
Hoping ease will be their way.
And oh, the squeakers—those who try
To “squeak on in” before they die.
Just hoping good will be enough—
As if salvation’s earned through stuff.
But none of these will win the prize,
No brand, no wealth, no thin disguise.
The shoe that wins is not in stores—
It’s found through Christ and nothing more.
Salvation is the sacred tread
That walks the way where angels tread.
A gift received, not won or bought,
Through faith alone, not works or thought.
So if you find your shoes are worn,
If hope feels frayed, your soul feels torn—
Take off the fakes, the worn-out lies,
And slip on grace that never dies.
We’ll run together, you and I,
With Heaven’s prize our hope held high.
Not squeaking by, but filled with light—
Wearing salvation, running right.
Let’s praise the One who paid our way,
With shoes that never wear or fray.
And when we cross that final line—
What joy to hear, “This crown is thine.”
………squeak ….squeak….pause… silence… shine.
By Susan Y. Nikitenko Refreshed
Version, 2025© THMBCTANNABEB
Children:
Ruth and the Winning Shoes: A Story of Love and Redemption
Written for children, inspired by the Book of Ruth (KJV1611)
A long, long time ago, in a land called Moab, lived a kind young woman named **Ruth**. She wasn’t an Israelite, but she loved her husband and cared deeply for his family. One day, something very sad happened—her husband died, and so did her father-in-law and brother-in-law. All the men in her family were gone, and it was just Ruth, her sister-in-law, and her mother-in-law, **Naomi**.
Naomi, heartbroken, decided to go back to her hometown of **Bethlehem**. “Go back to your families,” she told her daughters-in-law. “You’ve been kind to me.”
But Ruth said something amazing:
> *“Whither thou goest, I will go… thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”* —Ruth 1:16
So off they went, traveling dusty roads back to Bethlehem, where the barley was just beginning to grow. They were poor, with no one to care for them. But Ruth didn’t complain. She said, “I’ll go find a field where I can pick up leftover grain so we can eat.”
And guess whose field she ended up in?
A kind, strong man named **Boaz**—a relative of Naomi’s late husband. When Boaz saw Ruth working hard in his field, he asked, “Who is that young woman?” And when he heard all she had done for Naomi, he was deeply impressed.
He walked right up to Ruth and said:
> *“The Lord recompense thy work… under whose wings thou art come to trust.”* —Ruth 2:12
He made sure his workers left extra barley just for her. He even told Ruth to eat lunch with them. Boaz was kind, noble, and filled with the love of God.
Now Naomi smiled for the first time in a long while. “Boaz is a near kinsman,” she said, “a **redeemer**—he can protect you and even marry you to carry on our family’s name.”
Ruth listened carefully. She followed Naomi’s instructions and one night, laid herself at Boaz’s feet as a sign of respect and trust. In their time, this was a way of asking, “Will you care for us? Will you be our family’s redeemer?”
And Boaz said yes! But first, he had to follow God’s law and ask another family member if they wanted to redeem Ruth. That man said no, so Boaz took off his shoe, handed it over as a promise, and declared before many witnesses:
> *“Ruth have I purchased to be my wife!”* —Ruth 4:10
They were married in joy, and soon they had a baby named **Obed**. Obed grew up and became the grandfather of **King David**—and many, many years later, another baby boy was born in Bethlehem from Ruth’s family tree. His name was **Jesus**, our Redeemer and King forever!
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A Little Lesson from Ruth’s Shoes
Ruth didn’t wear fancy shoes. She wore humble, servant-hearted ones—shoes of kindness, loyalty, and faith in God. Those were the *real* winning shoes. And Boaz? He wore shoes of righteousness and redemption.
When we trust in Jesus, we’re putting on **Salvation Shoes**—the only ones that get us to Heaven’s gate. So whether you wear boots, sneakers, or flip-flops today… make sure your heart is wearing faith.
Susan Y Nikitenko 2024© ThMBNAnnaBen
Teens:
Ruth: A Love Story Written by Grace
*A Teen Devotional Story Inspired by the Book of Ruth (KJV1611)*
Ruth didn’t start her story feeling strong.
She started it grieving. Her husband was gone. Her future? Uncertain. Her heart? Probably shattered. And yet, standing at the crossroads of “what now,” she made a bold decision:
> *“Intreat me not to leave thee… thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”* —Ruth 1:16
She walked away from everything she’d known—her country, her culture, her comfort—and followed Naomi, her mother-in-law, to Bethlehem. Not for romance. Not for fame. For faith.
When they arrived, they were poor and unseen. Ruth went out to gather leftover grain in a stranger’s field just so they could eat. But God was already writing something bigger. That field? It belonged to Boaz—a man of faith, compassion, and strength.
When Boaz saw Ruth, he didn’t just see a stranger. He saw a story that mattered. He spoke protection over her. He made space for her. He honored her sacrifice.
> *“The LORD recompense thy work… under whose wings thou art come to trust.”* —Ruth 2:12
Boaz didn’t rescue Ruth because she needed saving. He responded to her faith. And Ruth didn’t chase Boaz—she followed God. And God led her to a man who would redeem more than her story… he would become part of the lineage of Christ Himself.
-What Teens Can Take from Ruth’s Story
- **You don’t have to have it all figured out.** Ruth didn’t. She followed God step by step—and He honored her.
- **Faith is sometimes quiet courage.** Not the loud kind. The kind that shows up and says, “I’ll go, even if I don’t know the way.”
- **Who you walk with matters.** Ruth’s story changed because she chose to walk with someone who knew God.
- **God’s love doesn’t forget anyone.** Not widows. Not outsiders. Not teens. Especially not you.
Susan Y. Nikitenko 2025©
