Here at the World Race Launch, I was given the pleasant duty of going to the Kroger grocery store and buying food my six other teammates. Me being a very detailed person needed to have a game plan, so I asked each of my teammates if they had any food allergies.
Chandler: None
Meredith:None
Ana: None
Michael: None
Anna: None
Jamilyn: 7
Yes, there is always that one! To be honest, I had a gameplay, and these food allergies were not part of them. As I got to the grocery store with under an hour to shop for two days of meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on a $60 budget, I looked down at my grocery list of food allergies.
No gluten
No cheese
No eggs
No dairy
No seafood
No pineapple
No cranberries
Jeez! Lord, how the heck am I going to go to the grocery store and not buy cheese! The entire time I was running around the grocery store like a chicken with my head cut off, I couldn’t stop thinking that God has me here for a reason. Maybe, he was trying to teach me that I need to put the needs of others before myself. Or, perhaps preparing me that plans are going to change on the race and I have to trust the Lord more than my own understanding.
With 15 minutes left to shop and only a jar peanut butter and two bags of honey ham in my shopping cart, I heard the Lord say, “You are here to serve! Make sure you take care of all my people.” After reflecting on that message as I was running up and down the aisle three looking for gluten-free crackers, I quickly made a hard b-line for the produce section. And there it was a beautiful bags of lettuce mix for $1.50 each! I grabbed all 7 of them and ever threw in two onions, three tomatoes, and five avocados. Talk about eating healthy on a budget.
My total come to be $59.43!
So, what did I learn from this situation… listen to the needs of others and adjust. Don’t dismiss anyone because you never know how God is going to show up. Oh, and I did give in and buy extra cheesy mac and cheese cups for the other 5 of us.
Next stop Haiti! Talk to you soon!
