Frozen Meals and Missed Opportunities

I miss the mark a lot—or at least my perfectionism tells me I do.

Most days, I use Walmart pickup, but on this particular day, I decided to go inside and shop myself. I was moving quickly through the aisles because I had somewhere else to be. Not frantic, but definitely not wasting time.

I turned down a frozen food aisle to grab some lunches for work. I hate packing lunch, so these no-muss-no-fuss meals are my go-to. I like the turkey lasagna, and they were running low, so I grabbed a few of those and some other flavors. That’s when I noticed a woman to my right. She was strolling slowly, looking at the opposite freezer. Her long, brownish-gray hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and she wore a medical boot—probably for a leg issue. She made eye contact.

Oh no… I’m in a hurry. I went back to my cart, perfectionism kicking in, and started arranging my frozen meals neatly in the bottom.

“Are those pretty good?” she asked.

“They are pretty good! Some better than others,” I replied.

“Are those for work?” she asked.

“Yes, they are!” I answered, hoping the conversation was over. After all, I was in a hurry.

“I used to take those kinds of lunches to work before I retired. I’m only 62 but had to have six ankle surgeries.”

I froze. What do I say to that? She kept talking about her ankle issues. I finally told her I hoped she had a better year, and she said the same to me.

As I walked away, the Holy Spirit impressed on me: Ask her if she has a dog. If not, see if she’d like a visit from a dog-handler team or if she’d like to visit with a dog-handler team.

I started reasoning with God: The chances she has a dog suited for therapy work are slim to none. She has trouble walking, so she probably won’t want to be involved at all.

SHAKING MY HEAD at my own ignorance—explaining things to God like He doesn’t know.

I kept shopping, but I couldn’t get her off my mind while still making my case to God. Then, very clearly, He said: Just ask.

Unfortunately, I saw her again at checkout—and I didn’t ask. I couldn’t get past my own “vast amount of knowledge” about the situation.

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all miss the mark of God’s glory. Did God need me? No. But what He did want was my obedience.

I missed that mark for sure. Thank goodness for His grace and strength in my weakness.

Maybe what that woman needed was just a short conversation about frozen lunches. Maybe she needed more. God knows what she needed—and what I needed. It’s possible I needed a kick in the pants for thinking I know more than God and for letting my ego run the show.

I hear You loud and clear, God.

Sandy