Groceries

Rebecca and I have been fighting a cold lately, and after being inside all of today, I needed to get out. I guess you could say I was feeling restless, but it would probably be better described as spiritually bloated - I needed less to get outside and more to clear my head.

I walked to the grocery store, and slowly at that. I was in no rush, and nothing in me wanted to be. It was probably -10, but I was bundled up, trying to relieve the gas in my soul. The food isles helped me do that. I picked up a flyer and immediately saw something I knew I wanted to get. I was under no illusion that we were stocked up on this item in the house. I'm also aware that we don't go through the stuff particularly fast, yet there was something deeply satisfying - soothing, even - about purchasing those 400 grams of bulk hot chocolate powder.

I also went to the junk food isle and perused the chip section. Only Lays had the salt and vinegar chips, but when I picked up the bag and pressed my thumb against the bag to feel the contents, I realized two things: first, that I wasn't going to spend 3 bucks on a bag of chips that's only a third full, and second, that spiritually I've been spending those 3 dollars for the past few months. When dollars and chips are put tangibly in front of you, I suppose the lesson is far clearer: why buy a bag of junk that is mostly filled with air? Don't get me wrong, I love my salt and vinegar, but spending money on air is foolish. Spiritually I've come to realize it's no different with how I spend my time. As humans, we are attracted to things that can steal our time. I, for one, tend to be drawn to aliens blowing each other up on my computer screen. However, while desecrating an ultralisk with a fully charged void ray is not a bad thing in and of itself, it can be something that steals our worship. And, if we really look at ourselves, we know that we always need to worship someone or something.

Lately the choice to throw the bag of chips in the cart hasn't been thought about, until the gut rot hits, or the realization that once the bag is open there is far less there then hoped for. Maybe that's why the bulk hot chocolate was so appealing. I saw, felt, and weighed in all 400 g of it. It was satisfying to know what I was getting. And spiritually, I need to invest in the activities I know are fulfilling. I need to start having a lot more hot chocolate.