Last week, I did my best to avoid going to the grocery store. Jamie (hubs) can attest to the fact that grocery shopping is one of my least-favorite activities. It’s not that I don’t know how to make a list or prepare for the week ahead of time. I’m actually very good at planning ahead. After many years of grocery shopping, our household needs list is tattooed on my brain. Despite my disliking the chore, the shop always needs to be done. The shelves at home need to be filled.
So, off to the grocery store I went. Even though we were traveling in a few days’ time, we still needed some entrees at the house. Snacks, my 16-year-old’s greatest need in life, were missing. A dark cloud hung over my head as I walked into the store. I did my best to finish quickly and raced down the aisles like a robot. Since we were preparing to travel, I had to be careful with what I purchased. Unused items that couldn’t be stored would be thrown away before we headed to the airport. Filling this kind of list is an art. But it’s an art I’ve perfected in my years of travel.
- Chips – check (yes I know not the best for you but it is what it is)
- Yogurt – check
- Sandwich meat – check
- Bread – check
- Laundry soap – check
No rewards but there are benefits
There’s no reward for filling the shelves. Storing up groceries doesn’t seem to do much on the surface. You only get a reprieve from more grocery shopping for a few days. *My disdain for the chore is shining through.*
The benefits of going to the grocery store outweigh its inconveniences. Attending to that mundane grocery list makes for days of needs filled at the house. Laundry gets done, lunches get made, and snacks (the lifeblood of teenagers) fill the shelves.
Stocking the shelves of our hearts also takes effort. Like grocery shopping, it’s not always easy or pleasant. It can feel mundane.
Read, pray, rinse, and repeat. Because life is full, making the time to store up spiritual feels less important. We have things to do.
Black Friday deals
Storing up things implies making provision for days ahead. When I shop for our family, I prepare for what we’ll need in the immediate future. Last week, I found a “Black Friday” deal on laundry soap. If I purchased 3 boxes of the large size laundry soap, I would get 40% off. Feeling it was a good deal, I tossed 3 boxes of the stuff into the grocery basket. Now we have laundry soap for days. *This is another task I only endure because I have to: laundry. That is another blog for another day.*
Storing God’s Word in our hearts prepares us for the days that lie ahead. There are days when I don’t feel like disciplining myself for the chore. It’s tempting to think that it would be nice to take time to care for my personal needs. Well, like the grocery shop, taking time daily with the Lord is something that is a personal need. It is the need of the day. Storing up God’s Word in my heart helps keep useful things on the shelves of my life. I can pull them off the shelf when life hits me between the eyes.
So pick up your reusable bags and fill them today. You might need a snack later on.
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