I hate grocery shopping. Neigh, loathe it on many an occasion. I do. The store is cold, the lighting is awful, there is an overwhelming amount of food to choose from the majority of which is bad for me, and it's not fulfilling my purpose in even going. I go because I must eat but in order to do that I have to buy the food before I can eat it.
I often think that if I could just take a pill and never have to eat another day in my life I would do it. Part of the problem is that I wait until I have nothing but a bag of white rice in my pantry to go to the store and usually I haven't eaten since lunch and it's 9 o'clock at night and I'm getting cranky. Poor planning on my part. But then again I hate it, so of course I put it off.
Those reasons are mostly reasons that anyone might not enjoy going. They are very tangible and in some cases, things that I can correct or plan for accordingly.
As I found myself walking into the store tonight I did something I had not done before. I prayed. I asked God to help me in my shopping. I prayed that He would help my attitude, to course correct my spirit.
You see the other side of the of the coin is that I have grown weary of grocery shopping as well as many of the other tasks that as a single man are my sole tasks of responsibility. I don't like doing things just for me. If I were out buying food for friends, or a dinner party I would most likely be elated to browse the aisles with my guests in mind. Thinking about what foods will both nourish their bodies and delight their palates. But just me? Bleh, give me that pill.
I can imagine myself as an Israelite in the wilderness waking up to find manna all over the landscape and trying to fill a week's worth so that I don't have to do it tomorrow and I can spend more time flirting with the daughters of the tribe of Benjamin.
Well many of us know what happened to the excess manna. The next day it was rubbish. Like a lot of the food in my refrigerator.
God wants me in daily remembrance of Him. I can't fill my spiritual pantry on Sunday. I need worship, prayer, scripture every day. But like I do with my grocery shopping I usually wait until I'm tired, and long over due.
Jesus would get up before the sun to commune with God. Before a breakfast of fish and bread with the disciples. He knew what He needed to get through the day.
Daily. Jesus teaches us this in the Lord's prayer. Give us *this* day our *daily* bread.
I didn't have any incredible revelations while in the store, or an new sense of peace while wondering the aisles. I suppose I may have found inspiration for this post. Which is to say that God works in the mundane and will point us to Him if we ask for the eyes to see Him.
In the end I think what I've come away with the most is that I needed to pray and ask for my Father's help before going into the grocery store. That beyond the major themes and issues of my life that I desperately need His presence and peace of mind in small daily tasks. Asking Him to grow my faith in the ordinary, hum drum, needs that I have.
Father, you are patient, faithful and full of lovingkindness. Thank you for meeting our daily needs. Thank you that you can teach us in the midst of the routine. Would you root us in your truth and grow us in faith closer to the bright brilliance of your grace and beauty. That you are as near to us in the dairy aisle as you are in the sanctuary.
Amen.
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