Philadelphia is not a cheap place to live, so while my
husband was there in graduate school, I would grocery shop at Aldi. Aldi’s is
often located in poor neighborhoods. It is not a high class market, but it
provides all of the basics and fresh produce that you can ask for without all
of the high prices.
In order to keep prices low, Aldi has initiated several
changes to the shopping experience. For instance, you will need to bring your
own bags. The cashier scans your items and tosses them back into the shopping
cart; then you can either toss them in your trunk that way or bag them yourself.
Another price reducer is the way you get your shopping cart.
Place a quarter in the chain slot and unlock your cart from all of the other
carts. Aldi figures everyone wants their quarters back, so they return the
cart. That way there aren’t any “lost” carts, and there aren’t any car bang-ups
in the parking lot.
So now we live in Greenville, NC, and though the Aldi here
isn’t in a very poor section of town, it is again located near the lower class.
And I still shop there even though we aren’t on a graduate student’s income.
But, it means I must have a quarter with me when I go to shop.
I keep quarters in my van so that I can always get a cart,
but in order to help those who may not have a quarter, I leave my cart parked
with the others, but not locked. I THOUGHT
I was doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Boy was I wrong!
The last couple of times I shopped, I was driving the car. I
don’t keep quarters in the car. I also didn’t have quarters in my purse. Certain
that I would be taken care of as a reward for all of the times I left a cart
for others, I happily walked up to the cart line to unhappily find them all
locked. So I grabbed an empty box and filled it with the few essentials I could
get by with for the week and checked out. That was last week.
This week, I drove the car again. I searched through my
purse, certain that I had a quarter, but alas, I did not. Again, I approached
the cart line just certain that I would find an open cart there. I mean, come
on, I have left LOTS of carts for other people. Surely God would reward me for
my previous blessing of others. Nope.
I did, however, have some folding money. So, I walked down
several aisles until I was in the check-out line. I waited for my turn, and
then asked for change. Granted it was only a small inconvenience, but what in
the world?! I deserved to have an unlocked cart!
I finished my shopping, buying anything that I wanted,
unconcerned about the cost. I packed up my groceries in my many fabric shopping
bags. I loaded the groceries into the third car that I own. And then I had a
decision to make.
It was time to return the cart. I was still miffed that
there hadn’t been an unlocked cart before. Should I return the cart and lock it
to retrieve my quarter to have next time, or should I leave the cart unlocked?
My half-sorry heart noticed the couple headed toward the
cart line. The elderly lady was searching through her change purse. I left the
cart.
As I walked back to my car I heard the couple exclaim over
the unlocked cart. They were temporarily blessed, and I was humiliated and
humbled.
I had been working under the assumption that God would take
care of me if I took care of others. Phooey! God takes care of me and everyone
else no matter what. Nothing I do can make God do what He doesn’t want to do.
The reason I need to be kind and thoughtful is because I want to be like God.
No other reason.
I told this story to my husband as we walked the trail
yesterday. When I got to the part about making a decision I asked him what he
thought I did. He got it right, but his next remark is what hit home. “I think
you’re nuts to think that you can get Karma off of God!” He was right.
“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not
many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many
were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the
wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the
lowly things of this world, and the despised things – and the things that are
not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It
is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom
from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as
it is written: “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
NIV
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