Grocery Blessings

I have said it before, and I shall say it again. God is faithful to grow us. He always is. Especially when we realize we need to grow in an area and ask for it!

I was blog hopping yesterday and came across a fabulous post. Unfortunately I. cannot. find. it.

It's not in my history, Ive spent hours looking. I cannot even remember the name of the blogger or how I got to her site. So- I shall summarize for you. This woman does not like to grocery shop. I understand. I spend, on average, 2 hours making my lists, gathering/clipping/organizing my coupons and deals and calculating my costs before I leave for the store. (budget is King!) I then drive to the store, load things in the cart, then on the conveyor belt, then back in the car, then in the house, then in the pantry/fridge.

However, this woman had a lightbulb moment.

Let me highlight some words above for you.

Drive.

Car.

Store.

Cart.

Car.

Pantry.

Fridge.

Are you getting my point? The point this woman made, who has a great blog that  I. cannot.find.

Am I really complaining about going to the store to purchase food for my family? I have a store to go to. My children do not look like this.

And I am complaining!?!

Shame on me.

Shame on you.

According to the CDC  in 2008 19.6% of 6-11 year olds were obese.

18.1% of 12-19 year olds were.

Lets not even discuss adults.

Now- I  am not picking on people who are overweight due to health reasons, or really picking on overweight people at all. But lets ask ourselves- WHY the large numbers?

Because we can afford to feed our children.

We are cramming them full of sweets and junk and there are THOUSANDS of children dying the world over DAILY from hunger related causes.

Because we are SO well fed we take it for granted and think it's our right to even complain about going to the store. I spent 3 summer soverseas- 1 of them in Asia. Ive seen people lying in the streets hungry and children as little as 1 trying to sell things on the streets for food.

And yet I complain about going to the well stocked, clean grocery.

I vowed yesterday morning to not have a bad attitude while shopping.

Ever. Again.

And then I took 3 boys to the store, to 3 stores actually.

And the gal at Meijer rung my order wrong and owed me $15.00 for not scanning my coupons correctly, which I didn't notice until I was BACK in the car with all 3 kids and had to go BACK in the store to wait in line to get my money back.

And I thought to myself- I could complain. This is frustrating. I am hungry and it is dinner time. My kids are rowdy and hungry, too.

But I just spent more in this store than some people will have in a lifetime. I am going home to put my food away, and I can eat a disease free, bug free meal tonight. I will be getting more back in change than many people live on in a years time. Hungry to me means nothin really. I don't KNOW hunger like many people around the world do.

And I praised God for the oppurtunity I had. For the country I live in. For giving me the tender heart to see how truly blessed I am. For the oppurtunity to grow my attitude and perspective. For my children being well fed and cared for. I thought of the little guy we sponsor. And the girl we sponsored for 10 years until she went to college. And I praised God. And I praised God. And I praised God.

How is your attitude?