Day 314- A Grocery Hopping First

While driving home from a Bible study tonight, I was painfully aware that I had not done a "first" today. I stopped at the grocery store on my home to pick up some milk.   I prayed and asked God to help me think of a "first."  I got an idea soon after that.  I am not saying that my idea was connected to the prayer or that God led me to do this. Perhaps you will feel the same way after the next sentence or two.

I had the thought that I had never done side straddle hops (you may know these as jumping jacks) in a grocery store.  I did side straddle hops in a grocery story for my "first." See, you are pretty sure that is not related to the prayer as well, aren't you?  God can lead us to do some odd things and sometimes we just do odd things on our own. Hey, it's day 314 here. I'm pretty sure that I've never done this before so it qualifies as a "first."  I think I would remember doing this.

To be honest, I got to the milk section and looked around.  There were other people in the store, but I could not see anyone from the milk section.  I knocked out 10 side straddle hops pretty quickly.  When I finished, you know the first thing I did don't you?  That's right, I looked around to see if anyone saw me. I don't think they did though there were some people in the deli area that might have seen me.  I saw someone else in the milk area pretty soon after I finished, but I don't think they saw me either.  I'm not particularly proud of this "first." It feels a bit like I cheated.  It would have been more of a real "first" if I had done this in a crowded grocery store. If you agree, I don't mind you doing that at all and telling me about it.

I don't see anybody

As I walked out of the store, I thought about how I should not try to hide the story and message of Jesus.  It's OK to want to hide silly things. It's OK to be a bit embarrassed about silly things.  Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to me. If you are a follower of Jesus, I believe you would say the same thing; Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to you.  It is an incredible truth that is hard to wrap my brain around that God became a man, lived a perfect life, died for my sins and yours, and then rose from the dead.  I've been around church all my life but I don't ever want the story of Jesus to become old hat to me.  It scares me that I might get a little indifferent toward Jesus and His amazing grace. I pray that His grace would always be amazing to me.

Jesus is really the only person I can brag about all the time with full confidence.  Everyone else sins. Everyone else has a bad day.  Everyone else is flawed.  The Bible says in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."  I am not that proud of my side straddle hops tonight. I'm really proud of Jesus.  I hope you are, too.  Now, where is that milk and maybe a cookie or two?

Glad I can brag on Jesus in the abundant life,
Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1. Jesus saved me
2. Jesus is perfect
3. Cold milk