Today I went grocery shopping. I had been putting it off as long as possible, after a rather chaotic experience last Saturday and hearing horror stories of empty shelves and limited supplies. I planned a pretty basic menu for next week and went over the list a few times even before standing in the pre-opening line. I wanted to have a plan to get the essentials as quickly as possible and then circle back for fresher items. Every second counts when there are 100 people in line...
(Side note: does menu planning go out the window if you can't find eggs, flour, or other staples? I haven't given up on it just yet. I intend to flex my substitution muscles for the immediate future.)
Between Aldi and Wegmans I located just about everything on my list. Aldi was out of flour, eggs, and sugar, but they had oatmeal and rice. Wegmans supplied me the last bag of flour in the store and a dozen eggs. I came home and, with even more gratitude than usual, unpacked our sustenance for the next week.
I was grateful for the money to be able to pay a little extra for the organic eggs since the regulars were gone. I was grateful for the time to get to the store early and wait in line to have early pick of the stock. I was grateful for a husband who could stay home with the boys and let me focus singularly on the task at hand. And I was grateful for disinfectant wipes and antibacterial soap upon my return!
I came across this article recently and it was sobering, to say the least: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/if-coronavirus-doesnt-get-us-starvation-will-growing-number-americans-say-they-cant-afford-stock-up-groceries/. In brief summary, there are many, many people in our country who, due to government assistance, weren't able to "stock up" ahead of time, or don't have the flexibility to get to stores when they are freshly re-stocked. They're completely beholden to the mailman, the check, and whatever is left behind for them at stores for them to glean.
It made me think of that prayer that is on our minds a bit more lately, "give us this day our daily bread." We know there are people in our country who can't afford food. But now we also have people who can afford it, they just can't afford it whenever they want and are faced with next to nothing by the time they get to the grocery store. We pray for all of those who face harsh uncertainties of hunger due to the spread of COVID-19.
But, my fortunate friends, maybe we need to practice "give us this day our daily bread" more too. There is something that just doesn't set right with me when I see photos of people proudly displaying their storehouses of canned goods and toilet paper. Of bottled water and sacks of flour. What if God is able to give us our daily bread each time we go to the store? If we were willing to rely on Him a little more and our doomsday tendencies a little less we might be blessed. We might realize in new ways that He makes good on His promises, every morning. And while we are learning that we can also bless those people who can only shop every now and then, and with limited resources.
I could have bought 8 bags of rice today. I could have purchased 12 canisters of oatmeal. But I didn't, because it would have cleared the shelf. (I did take the last bag of flour...it's a journey, OK?!)
I haven't sorted all of this out yet, but I keep coming back to the promises of God. That He cares for us more than the sparrow, that we should ask Him faithfully for our daily bread, and that He will supply all our needs.
"Tis to sweet to trust in Jesus--just to rest upon His promise--oh for grace to trust Him more."
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