What a Trip to the Grocery Store Taught me About Faith
We might not have to carry as much as we think we do
I don’t currently have a car. I’m thankful that I live in a city where I’ve been able to get by without one. But every time I go grocery shopping, for a split second, I really wish I did.
Grocery shopping is one of those essential errands you can’t really do without, and yet it is one of the ones I dread the most. The simple act of getting provisions requires a considerable amount of logistical planning, especially with no vehicle. What store do I go to? What items do I need? What is my budget? How will I transport it back home? Will the items I need be in stock?
It does not end there. Once bought and brought home, a process begins whereby we consciously or unconsciously have to figure out when each item needs to be consumed, used, thrown out or replaced. And then, after a relatively short span of time, we have to do it all over again.
Sigh.
In all the apparent tediousness of this process (though some people, unbeknownst why and how, truly enjoy it), there’s a beauty I had not seen until recently when a single trip to the grocery store taught me one of the most valuable lessons about faith.
When God speaks in the mundane
Throughout my life, when I’ve gone through difficult times or have had a hard time surrendering something, people would always give me the same piece of advice: let go. Some very spiritual people would even add, “and let God”.
This advice became increasingly more popular. My social media feeds became inundated with pretty graphics and eloquent captions that advised the same thing. And yet, no one ever told me how to do it. It sounded so good in theory, but it remained so elusive in practice.
A few weeks ago, I went grocery shopping on a particularly crisp evening. Because I had postponed this particular errand as much as possible, I found I had to buy more than I anticipated. I didn’t want to have to come back to the store, so I set out to make it work in a single trip. As I briskly walked back home carrying a couple of full bags, I could feel with every step how my hands were progressively acquiring a claw-like quality that truly hurt. I could feel the tiredness, the discomfort and the pain from carrying a load that was too heavy for me.
The moment I entered my apartment and let go of the bags, I felt a sharp pain in my hands as I unclenched them. Yet, this pain was slowly replaced by relief. And in that very unassuming moment, a poignant spiritual reality came to life for me.
Letting go: The only way to run the race
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV)
In an ideal world, we would never carry burdens that are too heavy for us. We would be able to trust and walk by faith in every situation. Yet, for as long as we live in a fallen world, this will not always be the case. As humans, we are naturally inclined to sin and to stray from God’s path, which will inevitably cause weight in our lives, which will in turn cause pain. Thankfully, by God’s grace, we don’t need to hold on to that weight — we can lay it at Jesus’ feet, rest in Him and enjoy His provision.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28, NIV).
In my own life, I had experienced moments of ‘letting go’, but they had seldom — if ever — been an intentional thing. It had often been a result of fatigue after trying to control and fix things my way. Letting go had become my last resort. At church, I could sing ‘I Surrender’ as loudly as the next person (except I didn’t, because I’m not a loud church-singer, but you get my point). However, my heart was far from willingly and consciously deciding to let go. I now realize that not practising surrender as an ongoing aspect of my faith has caused me to miss out on blessings, moments of joy, and intimacy with Christ.
I also realized that letting go wasn’t all that abstract as I and others had made it out to be. It required: 1) an acknowledgement that I could no longer go on on my own; 2) a conscious decision to lay the weight down; and 3) readjusting and actively sorting out things — some of which I might be rather inclined to at best, leave as they are or at worst, completely ignore.
Of course, this is often easier said than done, especially because letting go often also implies accepting a degree of pain. There is suffering when we must let go of something we either hold dear or have been carrying for too long. But, just like we don’t get to enjoy our groceries lest we let go of the bags, we won’t be able to enjoy much of what God has in store for us until we let go of those things we know aren’t ours to bear.
A trip to the grocery store taught me that it is only in surrender that we can enjoy the abundant life God has promised (John 10:10). We are all running the race whether we realize it or not; it is up to each one of us to determine how lightly we want to pack for the journey; the invitation to walk with an easy yoke and a light burden has already been issued.
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