The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith

Lessons From Behind the Shopping Cart

Shopping has recently become a challenge. Extensive empty shelves loom large in most stores, a phenomenon we in America are not used to. Driving around on less crowded streets is nice, but waiting in long lines to get into a lot of stores early enough in the day to find toilet paper still in stock violates our sense of efficient use of our time. But then, in the middle of social distancing and non-essential service shut-downs, those same lines give us much needed people contact as we converse with the other people waiting in line with us (six feet apart, of course).

So what can we learn from all this? Here are just a few things that come to mind.

First, no matter what crisis we experience, life goes on! The sun continues to shine and the weather continues to change, sometimes even following the local weatherman’s suggestions. God promised this global continuity, in fact, in Genesis 8:22 as part of His covenant with Noah after the flood: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Second, there are always alternatives. Try something new you haven’t tried before if you can’t find your usual ingredients on the store shelves. When there are no more packages of rice, try Quinoa instead. No green vegetables left in the Produce department? I’ll bet you’ll be able to find brussels sprouts when the rest of the green vegetables are gone, very tasty when roasted with a flavored rub coating.

We have heard of a number of people who have had to cancel travel plans because of the Coronavirus threat. But isn’t that what “staycations” are for? Even so, the loss of a long-anticipated trip can be upsetting, especially if you have children. The Bible tells us “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps. 127:3). They are precious and alternative activities closer to home can prove to strengthen your family as nothing else will, even when your plans have changed suddenly. Try hiking local trails that you haven’t explored yet, looking for specific things like animal tracks or new spring foliage; or have a campout in a tent or a themed picnic in the back yard; pull out those favorite board games from your own childhood. There are also lots of ideas online for parents to do with their kids, both educationally and for fun. Focus on the Family has some suggestions at https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-time-during-the-coronavirus-quarantine/

Third, there is always hope. A recent headline proclaimed that a woman had given birth in a Walmart toilet paper aisle. And yes the shelves were empty. Two store employees helped the about-to-be mom until local paramedics could arrive on the scene to finish the job. The birth of a new baby is a symbol of hope for the human race, a blank slate on which can be written and proclaimed the redemption of our souls through Jesus Christ. In Galatians 4:4-5 we find that Jesus’ birth had everything to do with human redemption: “…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” As a result, with the Psalmist we are able to “…hope continually and will praise [Him] yet more and more” (Ps. 71:14), even when our prospect appears bleak.

Finally, times of crisis give us a new focus. I find it extremely interesting to see what shelves are not empty in the midst of all this. Last week in our nearby grocery store, the candy, seasonal, and party aisles, along with the wine/spirits section remained fully intact, not showing any gaps at all. When shortages loom, the focus seems to be on staples like paper goods, cleaning/sanitizing products, and nutritious, filling food products like pasta, rice, canned goods, dairy, eggs, and produce. Non-essentials stay on the shelves. The shopping choices people make reflects their priorities and the current priorities seem to revolve around health and survival with little energy to think about much else.

In addition to the evidence of crisis in stores, we have had calls from a number of medical offices to cancel appointments over the next two months. All our commitments for the next few weeks have disappeared from our calendar, even church related activities…After almost three years of non-stop medical issues, my husband and I are finding relief in the therapeutic calm that we live in now. Psalm 46:10-11 calls on us to “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”

How can we be still before God when we have non-stop obligations taking us hither and yon? It is times like these, when those outside distractions are less, that we as Christians have both the time and the calling to spend with God. Being still before Him requires intentional focus on worshipping God and rejecting all that would distract us from that focus. 2 Corinthians 10:5 describes this process in stark terms: “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Be still and intentionally stop everything that comes into your mind to distract you from your worship of God. That is the only way to experience the full privilege of God’s presence.

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