Do you pray before you go to the supermarket? It is a habit that can help you. The supermarket can be a hazardous spot. Rarely do we spend time in a placed filled with so many temptations. Some of temptations are obvious (the bakery aisle); some are subtle and more difficult to identify (the high-profit, low nutrition cereal in a splashy box at kids’ eye level). Why not consider shopping an adventure, a challenge and an opportunity to serve God? In this new year, take time to enjoy your shopping trip. The choices made in the supermarket affect the health of people we may never meet in many other parts of the world. God has blessed us with a bountiful food supply, and with God’s help we can learn to care for our earth and our bodies by making wise choices in the supermarket.
This message is adapted from “Serving God in the Supermarket” by Helen Bjornson in March 1990 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.