By Reba Phelps
A simple trip to the grocery store can be such an emotional experience for many reasons. When I was a much younger mother, my children were the controlling factor to decide whether the trip would be pleasant one or one that made me want to hide in the produce section and pretend I did not know who they belonged to. I would like to say as they grew older, it became easier but it simply did not. They older they became, the larger the disagreements were and their grocery requests became more expensive.
Another all too common grocery store emotion is the sticker shock of how much every day items have inflated. A few days ago, I thought my body went numb as I listlessly stared at the cost of coffee creamer. It was two pennies shy of being six dollars. My body, soul and mind would not allow me to spend this much money on coffee creamer. I stared at cartons of half and half while I weighed out the monetary and taste differences. My tastebuds were screaming, “Pay the six dollars and lets move on with our life.” I even momentarily considered going to straight black coffee but my tastebuds started acting up again.
Even when the stars align, the children behave and the prices are agreeable, one of the most stressful aspects of the grocery store is always the awkward, unknown condition of the shopping cart you will be pushing around the store. Will the cart have a flat tire, or a missing wheel, or will it shimmy and shake so loud that it announces your arrival before you turn a corner? Will it be drenched in liquid from a recent rain or a toddler that made himself at home in it?
So many variable factors can contribute to the success or downfall of an innocent trip to purchase groceries.
On a recent trip to the store, I exited my vehicle with so much hope as I prayed that God would bless my little family with good deals and no drama. As soon as I uttered that prayer and closed my door, a lady approached me in the parking lot and said, “Ma’am, you need this buggy. It rides so good, smooth as glass. I wont even charge you and it probably has new shocks!”
This was literally the most humorous thing that has ever happened to me and how could I even consider telling her no? She had me sold the minute she bragged about it being free and offering a smooth ride. I gleefully took her up on her offer. It only took me a few seconds of pushing the cart before I turned around to thank the stranger with the excellent sales skills, however she was already shaking her head in agreement.
She knew. I knew. It was a rare grocery store blessing.
As I was shopping with the golden shopping cart I couldn’t help but notice how nice it took curves, how quiet it was and how clean it was. It was everything the happy stranger told me it would be. I even found myself lingering longer on the isles, taking my time and enjoying the grocery store scenery. When my time was coming to an end and I made peace with the fact that the store would frown upon me bringing the grocery cart home, I frantically looked around for someone to bless with the special buggy. This blessing couldn’t go to waste.
By the time I made my way to my car, unloaded my groceries and started to bring the cart back, I ran into the perfect person who would appreciate the value of the free gift that was given to me. As soon as I started my sales pitch, I could see the look of disbelief. How could this fantastic buggy be a free gift with so many benefits? Once he accepted it for himself, I could see the look of shear surprise in his face. He was delighted as he bounced away with the newly upgraded buggy.
Much like the gift of salvation, it is free and open to anyone who will accept it. Newly saved Christians will always feel like it is too good to be true, it has to be a catch or it simply cant be available to anyone who seeks salvation. A true gift is always a blessing, free with no strings attached. It is an overwhelming thought to know that a simple free gift will earn you an eternal life with the true gift giver.
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:5
Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com
