What can you learn while waiting in line at the grocery store? Well, a lot apparently. I recently stopped by Winco to get some groceries on my way home from work. The store wasn’t that busy, but by the time I got to the checkout there were only three lanes open and they were all backed up. So, I took a spot in line and waited. Then the conversations started.
The first comment was somewhat conspiratorial (not the only comment I had of this nature). The man in front of me said that the reason there were only three lanes open on a Wednesday evening was to force the shoppers to choose the self-checkout lines so the store would be justified in firing more employees. This was followed up by the declaration that it was only going to get worse in October.
Why October, you might ask? Well, that is when almighty Inslee’s vaccine mandate goes into effect as just one of his 431 injunctions delivered under his emergency declaration issued on leap day of all days (February 29, 2020). This man is anticipating a crisis of sorts when many of our state, healthcare, and school workers refuse to get the jab and lose their jobs.
This led to a discussion with a couple in front of him regarding the mandatory jab. I don’t remember the exact words, but I think someone made a threatening comment that sounded like, “If he tries to poke his needle into me, then I’m going to fill him with lead.” Something like that. The implication is that there is going to be a lot of bloodshed if the jab gets forced upon us. This man is well-strapped, ready, and willing to defend himself. And he has a lot of friends that feel the same.
Several other comments were made that lightened the mood a little bit. The man behind me knew how many kids I had from all the food in my cart. I shared with him how through God’s providence we added another one by hosting a foreign exchange student for the school year. He shared with me that he had raised five kids and was just about to officially adopt his 18-month-old grandson. The cashier told me that she loves her job and that I should raise beef and grow my own vegetables, since no one knows how to do that anymore. The conversation ended with a sincere “God bless.”
I’m sharing this with you all for a number of reasons, but let me just mention one. No one wants to wait in line for 15-20 minutes at the grocery store after a long day of work, but I see this as a gift. I didn’t engage much in the conversation, but I was able to at least listen and see where people are at, what their worldview is, what they think about what is happening in our country, how they are preparing for an uncertain and potentially fearful future, and what they’re doing even in their own families. Many such opportunities to listen and learn pass us by because we’re in such a rush, we would rather not engage, and our idle time is passed with our faces in our phones. I wholeheartedly trust in the providence of God and find great comfort in such verses as Proverbs 16:1, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord,” and Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps, and Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will,” and Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” But the challenge of such an important and necessary theology is to willingly submit to it, especially when things don’t go the way you want them to go. This is his story and he is the one in control. May we strive to see his handiwork in everything.
Oh, I almost forgot. One more thing. Don’t forget to bring cash or a debit card because Winco doesn’t take credit cards. God bless.
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