Socks Should Match

Berkeley – who thinks matching your socks to your outfit does matter.

“Honey, forgot black socks.”  Berkeley was standing in the hallway staring through the bathroom door at me while I brushed my teeth.

“Hmm?” I questioned him with a raised eyebrow and a mouth full of paste. I spit in the sink and restated. “What’s wrong sweetie? You forgot to pack dress socks?”

“Yes!” he answered, real distress in his voice. Berkeley, my 33 year old brother with Down Syndrome, is kind of a fashion bug. He’d spent the night at my house, and we were about to leave for church.

“Are you wearing any socks?” I questioned. Fearing he might have stuck bare feet directly into his cowboy boots, I could almost feel the blisters growing.

“Yes,” his voice short and taut as he pulled a boot off and a pant leg up to reveal a white sports sock. “Not right color,” he told me.

“Oh, it’s ok honey. Your boot will cover it up. Nobody will know, and you can wear black socks next week.”

He looked doubtful; but since I don’t keep a drawer full of men’s socks, he was stuck wearing the wrong color.

I knew those “not right color” socks would bug him all the way through church; and although not another soul would know, he’d be changing them THE moment he got home.

Later, about 30 seconds after I stopped by my parents house to drop Berkeley off, I heard his dresser drawer open.  Yep, he was changing those socks, and a thought occurred to me, Wouldn’t it be nice if we treated sin in our lives like Berkeley and his white socks inside cowboy boots? Even when invisible to others, sin should bug and nag at our insides until we can’t wait to get rid of it.

“This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Acts 24:16