Have you been grocery shopping in the last couple of days? You can feel the frantic energy in the air as people are scavenge buying things they would normally never buy.
One of our favorite stores, Aldi, imposed a four can restriction on any single canned vegetable product. I grabbed up 4 cans of kidney beans to ensure I got my “fair share”. As we put our groceries away, my sweetheart said, “Oh! You got me some canned garbanzo beans!” She loves ’em and I think we shouldn’t eat anything that sounds like gravel when they hit the plate! My bad. In my haste to get my four can maximum, I grabbed up a can of garbanzos by mistake.
The temptation to grab and grab is real. The scavenging frenzy is more contagious than COVID-19! A hundred people were waiting outside our local Walmart when it opened yesterday. As I walked around the store, the scavenge frenzy reminded me of how the store feels the day before Thanksgiving as people rush around to get the last cans of pumpkin pie filling and other traditional favorites.
One thoughtful checkout professional, when blasted by a woman for her favorite products being out of stock, said “What a great time to try something new!” The shopper looked at her with complete disbelief and a total lack of comprehension. I heard another shopper frantically calling a family member because she had gotten only two RiceARoni’s, the last two in the store.
It is a human tendency to push to get our “fair share”. But little in life is fair. Is it fair that my schedule flexibility makes it easier to get to the store for my own scavenge buying? Is it fair that the out-of-work service person from the local diner can’t afford to buy much at all? Is it fair for someone who didn’t get their allotted maximum to “borrow” from an elderly shopper’s cart when they aren’t looking?
I will admit that I have spent too much energy on more than one occasion over my lifetime, overly concerned about what’s fair… or at least what I “think” is fair for me. Jesus shared the following story:
“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ -Luke 14:8-10. NIV.
I challenge you [and me] to say “NO!” to scavenge buying, say “NO!” to pushing and shoving, say “NO!” to getting the last [state your favorite food here]. Instead, say “YES!” to leaving something on the shelves for others, say “YES!” to letting an elderly shopper get in line ahead of you, say “YES!” to helping a stressed mom get the bag of flour I am reaching for. Let’s not wait for stores to restrict us. Let’s restrict ourselves! Then, instead of hearing “I’m sorry sir, you can only have four canned garbanzos” we can hear “You know you can take another can. We have plenty!”
God bless us as we keep our hands and hearts clean. Stay healthy!
Click for CDC’s simple wisdom about how to protect yourself and those around you