Lesson from the grocery store

Last Friday night, I thought it would be nice to pick up a few basic groceries that I knew Mary Jo needed for the home so that we would be set for the weekend. Of course, I can't JUST get the basics! I'm finding cookies and soda and potato chips and everything else that shouldn't be consumed by any in the human species.

None-the-less, I end up with about 5 plastic bags (which, btw you can hardly call 'bags' since they fail to contain anything heavier than 2 lbs for more than 10 seconds!).

When I got home, of course, I start looking for the cookies. NO COOKIES!!!! ARGH!!!!!

How can this be? I check the pantry, in case I had a senior moment and put them away without remembering to. I check the hallway, in case I put down the back upon entering the house. I check the car, in case I missed it when coming inside. No where.

I then check the receipt - perhaps I never actually bought the cookies. Sure enough, I bought cookies (& lemonade & hotdogs & juicy juice ... but ... clearly the cookies are the staple item in this list and the object of my desire, so, hence-to-for I'll only refer to the cookies, but you'll know that I mean the full contents of the missing bag).

Now what. I call the Giant Eagle (local grocery store). Amazingly, I remember that I went to checkout lane 8 and the cashier's name was Michelle (I have NO idea why I remembered that information ... but I did!). Sure enough, I left the bag with the cashier.

I'd like to be able to blame Michelle for not passing me my 6th and final bag of groceries, but, I packed the bag myself - unfortunately, I remember that too.

I'm told that if I come back to the store in the morning and bring the receipt with me, that I will be able to collect my forgotten items.

So, that's exactly what I did. The next morning, receipt in hand, I wander through the store picking up the 4 items and I take them to customer service. Because they had a note which stated they should be expecting me, and because I had a receipt that told them that those items had been paid for by me - they let me walk out without having to see a cashier.

Later, I couldn't help but realize that the Devil has a note that informs him that someone is coming to collect what is rightfully theirs. The note is the Bible. And, Jesus through the Holy Spirit is today collecting His people from their various aisles of life. And best of all, one day Jesus is going to stand before His Father and show him the receipt of His shed blood that announces that everyone who is with Him is entitled to remain with Him because the price for their redemption has already been paid for.

When I reclaimed those grocery items, I wasn't stealing - I was taking things for which I had already paid the price. I didn't have to go back and get them. I could have said, "nevermind, it's only a couple of things worth very little" - but - I'd paid for them, so I wanted them, so I went and found them again and proved to the store that they were mine.

Jesus has paid for you the price to forgive your sins. Not only that, but He doesn't expect you to jump off the shelves and figure out how to get to His home, He's come to find you because He loves you and wants you to be with Him forever.

Don't hide from Him.

You've been bought - you're free to go!