You know... going to your local "large, local, discount retail" store can be quite the experience. I'm not going to name names, here, but just suffice it to say that this particular large, discount retail store ranks right up there at the very top of the list of sites my little bride enjoys frequenting... frequently.
Without getting into some kind of trouble for mentioning their particular "brand" name, let me just give you their initials... WAL-MART!!! OK... everybody got it? Let me explain briefly just exactly WHY a trip to one of these locations grinds on me so badly by just giving you a brief summary of my "excursion" through Wally-World.
Now, mind you, this doesn't happen EVERY time, but it HAS happened the last 386 times I've accompanied my little Bride. I walk from our "Reserved" parking place... (Precious goes so often, they've reserved her own "up front" parking place), into the store, dodging little old ladies with bad attitudes; a large group of foreign nationals who do not speak English; a couple of "brothus" with their jeans down somewhere between their buttocks and their knees, and at least one biker dude who genuinely seems to be enjoying himself, smiling and speaking to everyone.
Once inside, I carefully select my shopping cart. This is important, because I have one particular cart I especially enjoy pushing around. It's MY cart... and when I find it, I firmly grasp the handle bar and off I go, trailing along behind the love of my life. And then I begin to notice it... ka-thunk, ka-thunk. ka-thunk... the unmistakable sound and vibration of at least 2 of the 4 wheels which happen to have at least 1/2 of the wheel ground off flat. It sort of gives you the same feeling you get when you drive off into a pothole in your car... only you hit this pothole every 6 inches... ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.
People within a 4 aisle radius can hear you coming... ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk. They just sort of look at you and smile... and the REASON they smile is because they're SO GLAD THEY didn't get MY cart.
By the time we turn right and get past the pharmacy and the personal hygiene section and turn left toward the housewares, appliances, and home furnishings, I'm already finding it difficult to smile BACK at all the people who are smiling at me, because they're SO GLAD THEY didn't get My cart.
By the time we pass the paint, the hand tools, and move ever so purposely toward office supplies, I'm NOT smiling at anyone, regardless of how glad they are, and my grip on the handle bar is noticeably tighter. Moving through the toys, (which is mandatory if you have a grandson), and continuing left toward the electronics, I begin to notice that I'm blinking my eyes in time with the ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk, and my forearms are beginning to ache because of my grip on the handle bar.
At electronics, we make a sharp turn to the left and wind our way through the ladies fashions and lingerie. By the time we turn right and head out of there, making our way toward the aisle which separates the stuff you wear from the stuff you eat, I begin to notice that I'm beginning to limp as though my right leg is shorter than my left, and each step is in perfect time with my blinking, which is in perfect time with the ka-think, ka-thunk, ka-thunk of MY cart... and the pain in my forearms has radiated up toward both shoulders.
Winding our way leisurely through the groceries, by the time we're past the dairy case, past the water, chips, paper products and bathroom tissues, my head is beginning to twitch... my chin repeatedly bumping my right shoulder. About the time we pass the canned vegetables, spices, soup, and crackers, and are about to approach the frozen food compartments, we make a hard U-Turn and make our way back toward the sour cream and cheeses. By the time we reach the bologna and wieners, I've noticed that each time I step with my left foot (that's the one that's on the end of my leg that's NOT shorter than the other one), for some reason I can't help but go up on my tip-toes... each step... left; up on tippy toes... right; like I'm stepping in a hole. And I want to remind you, here, that UP on tip toes with my left and DOWN in a hole with my right are still in perfect time with my chin bumping my right shoulder, my eyes blinking in perfect time with the ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk of MY cart, which is getting heavier as we go. And the ache in my forearms which radiated to my shoulders is now like someone is holding a hot branding iron between my shoulder blades, the ache has turned to muscle spasms, and I can't feel either hand.
And then, we make the final left turn at the bananas and make our way through the fresh produce toward the finish line... the checkout stands. The wonderful thing about Wal-Mart is that they have 204 check out registers... the bad thing about Wal-Mart is that they only use 3.
And just as it's our turn to check out, and Precious pries my fingers off the handle bar so I can put the items on the conveyor belt, she asks; "Can you think of anything else?"
Miraculously, I overcome the temporary paralysis in my face, the blinking stops, my twitch disappears, the pain leaves my arms, both legs seem to come back to the same length, and I look at her... I smile... and with all the thoughtfulness I can muster, I say; "No, Sweetie... I think we got everything."
As we leave the parking lot, (which can be an adventure all it's own)... with ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk still ringing in my ears, I steal a look at my wife and my heart is filled with wonder and awe... I'm struck with a whole new appreciation for her. She LOVES this place!!! What an amazing woman, indeed.
The word of God says in Hebrews, chapter 12 that we are to run with endurance, the race that is set before us... even the race through Wal-Mart... and Hebrews 12: 2 says; We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, The Champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
So the next time the "ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk" of life begins to grind on us, let us all... especially me... try to remember it's just one of those little annoyances of life, meant by our enemy to distract us and draw our eyes away from the LORD. He can try, but whether or not he's successful is entirely up to you and me.
Maybe next time I'll let Jesus pick me out a shopping cart... He might break my string... But then Hey, It's Just A Thought.
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