Some of us love shopping. Others—like myself—not so much. But no matter which camp you fall into, at some point we all have to go to the store. We go for food, for necessities, or for things we simply want.
Have you ever thought about how life is a lot like one big store?
When we walk in, the first thing we look for is the perfect cart—the one that rolls smoothly, with no wobbly wheels and no annoying squeaks. A cart that’s big enough and easy to push so we can get everything done with ease.
As we move through this “store,” there are aisles and aisles filled with everything we could ever want or desire. Things that look perfect for us. Things we’re convinced will make us happy. We load our carts with as much as they can hold, eyes wide, hearts full, laughing and enjoying every moment of what feels like happiness.
Eventually, the shopping trip comes to an end. We get in line, unload our cart onto the conveyor belt, and our excitement grows with anticipation.
But then imagine this.
The cashier takes all the items you wanted—the ones you were so excited about—places them into a box, and sets it aside. Instead, they hand you one item. The one you didn’t really want. The one that was supposed to be good for you. Then they smile and say, “Enjoy, and have a great day.”
What would you do?
Would you accept it with gratitude and walk away thankful?
Would you argue, confused and frustrated?
Or would you hand it back and leave upset and angry?
Many of us think of God as that cashier. We believe that if God were real, or if He truly loved us, we would get everything we wanted. We would walk out with the big box—not the one small thing we didn’t ask for or understand.
But I like to think differently.
I believe God is looking out for us. He knows what is good for us, even when we can’t see it. Even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment. And when we choose gratitude for the small things, we often realize we’re walking away with more than we ever expected.
The box can wait—sometimes one small gift is enough to carry you exactly where you’re meant to go.
