I hate grocery shopping. I’m not great at cooking and meal planning so the grocery store holds little appeal. I often forget something I need, which means more trips. And sometimes I come home, look at all I bought, and think, Yeah, but what am I going to make for dinner?
Yesterday morning, the refrigerator was almost empty, though, and the pantry had lots of beans for some reason but not much else. It was time to go.
So I made my list, checked it twice (to be sure I actually had it with me), and drove to our neighborhood store. A petite version of a big chain, it’s just over the bridge from us, less than a mile away, with plenty of parking. It could not be easier to get there.
When so many people don’t have easy access to food, I’m thankful that we have such a store so close, even though, well, I don’t like going.
Anyway, as I grabbed the cart, my thoughts settled on something that’s been worrying me. I’ve confessed to you before that I tend to worry. It’s one of my biggest weaknesses. I do trust God--I believe that he is a good God and that he loves me and wants the best for me. But when I let worry take over my thoughts, it doesn’t look like I believe those things at all.
And lately, that’s what I’ve been doing. Letting this thing, which is never far from my mind, jump or slink into the forefront whenever there’s an opportunity. Like yesterday at the store. I felt weighed down by it.
Filling my cart with fresh produce (another thing to be thankful for), I glanced over at the floral department. Normally, this store’s flower selection looks a bit sad, but yesterday! Yesterday was a different story. Orchids, lilies, tulips, roses, carnations as well as African violets, begonias, and shamrocks covered every surface. I’ve never seen so many fresh, beautiful flowers at our store before.
I wanted to share it, because part of the joy of finding beauty is sharing it with others. So I pulled out my phone and started taking photos, saying hi to the sales associate as I did so.
At the orchids, which were yellow and purple and elegant as always, I could smell the white oriental lilies—my favorites because of their fragrance. Pink and white tulips formed slender bunches in buckets at my feet, and bright yellow carnations would not let me walk by without a photo of their cheeriness.
It was a sight for sore thoughts.
An unexpected moment of beauty.
Did this beauty take away my worry? Not fully. But it did interrupt and refocus my thoughts. My spirit felt lighter, and I was grateful to God for it.
And now I can honestly say I was glad to be at the grocery store yesterday morning.
Do you like to share beauty when you experience it? Are you open to unexpected beauty? Has experiencing beauty ever helped give you perspective on your circumstances or changed your outlook? Do you think gratitude plays a role in seeing beauty? I know—that’s a lot of questions for today, but I’d love to hear from you about any of them.
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