I do not like to shop for groceries. I love food but I dislike shopping for it. When I finally get to the checkout I always comment about how relieved I am to get it over with.

The clerk always reminds me that I still have to put it away.

“Oh, yes. I don’t like that either!”

Sounds like I’m lazy.

Looks like I’m whining about nothing.

The truth is I find it boring. So I make up games to get me through it all.

For instance I try desperately to complete my shopping without having to go back to find something I missed on the list.

I rarely win that one.

I try to only buy things on my list.

Can’t happen.

I sit before hand and have coffee so that I feel more alert. But caffeine only makes me rush through it, thus ‘ missing a few items and losing that game.

But when I really pay attention to what I am doing, I learn something.

A few years ago I wrote the story about string beans. I met a wonderful blind man who taught me how to select the best ones.

Yesterday I discovered how important the process was in selecting potatoes…baking potatoes…Russet potatoes to be exact.

I realized that choosing two potatoes was the same way I make other choices in my life.

I walk up to the potato bin and almost immediately find one I want.

But suddenly the whole process slows down. The fact that I could quickly find one potato should mean that the selection before me was wonderful. Everything I ever wanted in a potato and more could be easily found because the first one jumped out at me, had my name on it, called out, “take me! Here I am, over here!”

Sorry.

This is where it compares to the way I do things in life.

Standing there with the first potato in hand, I now must find one as good as that one. It can’t be bigger or smaller it has to be the same. But no two potatoes are the same.

In order for them to cook at the same time they need to be exactly the same. The first one has now set the pace, raised the standard for the other.

“This one? No, too big.”

“How about…no, it has too many bumps.”

I spend way too much time doing this. If it takes too long I have been known to return the first one and start over.

These are potatoes for goodness sake!

I won’t even mention sweet potatoes. Those things are shaped so weird it takes me twice as long.

So then I think about how many times I struggled over a decision because my gut reaction was one thing and anything else would be sub standard. Cars, dinner, movies, snacks, music, the color paint we want in the dining room, or should I wear this tie or that one?

How about buying a computer? A clock? A cell phone?

Finally, what about how we relate to our faith, to God?

We say we believe in prayer and say, “Thy will be done, God!”

Then we don’t like what happens.

“God, I place it all in your hands…Amen”

Then we spend the rest of the time worrying.

Pick up one potato and say, “God, I leave it in your hands to help me find the right potato, then grab another one and move on!

Yeah, right…It’s all that first potato’s fault!

I’ll buy rice. They’re all the same size, thank God.

Bob Perks 2believe@comcast.net