In this instant society we are living in, there are several very convenient grocery delivery services. These services allow you to order your groceries online and have your order delivered to your door. It is both easy and convenient…..if it all works correctly.
Recently, we had five orders delivered to our home. The only problem was…..we didn’t place an order for groceries.
The first order was delivered while we were not home, but our Ring camera caught it all. We were going to be gone for a few hours, so Chance went by our house to check on the delivery. There was meat, milk, eggs and several perishables which certainly wouldn’t have survived the South Caroline heat. Since these delivery services will not retrieve misdelivered items, Chance disposed of the perishables and took the case of water with him.
The second delivery arrived while I was home. I opened the door and spoke with the young man, explaining that we had not placed an order and the items were not ours. He seemed very frustrated and looked at his phone for confirmation of the address. Oddly, I ended up apologizing for his trouble and he began to gather the items. I went back inside and closed the door. Hours later, as I walked through the foyer, I noticed he had indeed left the groceries on our porch. Once again, I disposed of the perishables and felt somewhat guilty about keeping the two cases of water and Gatorade.
The next afternoon our doorbell rang and I raced for the door hoping to catch the delivery person. I opened the door and a cute woman in her mid-sixties greeted me with a smile. She did not have groceries with her, but she immediately said, “I am fairly sure that I am at the wrong place. I have a grocery delivery, but this doesn’t seem like the correct address. I am looking for Teresa and unit #154.” I laughed with her, told her about our previous experiences, assured her that I was not Teresa and our house was not unit #154. She chuckled and set off to find her correct delivery location.
Later that evening, the doorbell rang, and I once again raced for the door. I just caught the young man leaving our porch after placing multiple bags next to the door. I quickly explained the groceries were not ours, we had not placed an order, I was not Teresa and we were not unit #154. He looked at me quite puzzled and I began to share with him how I knew his client’s name and his intended destination. He then laughed and began gathering the items. He, too, checked the address for the order using his phone. He very honestly told me, “I will not be driving down there with this order” and was on his way.
The following day our doorbell rang once again, Jimmy bolted for the front door as two young men were placing groceries on the porch. This time, Jimmy explained we had not placed an order. The young men looked confused, checked their phones and began reloading the items into their arms. Hours later, we noticed two dozen eggs had been missed when they were gathering the bags.
A few days passed and I was sharing our experience with friends. As I thought about the whole series of events, a couple of things came to mind…..the most obvious, did Teresa ever receive her orders? But, more importantly, how do we react at times in our lives when we realize we have arrived at the wrong destination? We knock on a door, certain it is meant for us, expecting it to open with a new opportunity or the happiness we have been seeking, only to find we have clearly taken a wrong turn on our path of life. We have ventured into a place or a situation causing us to be unhappy or discontent. Perhaps it is where we call home, a relationship, a career choice, financial distress or turmoil in the family. The real question is…..once we become aware of our misdirection, how do we react? Do we correct our current path and redirect; do we leave a part of ourselves behind; do we learn from our past mistakes; do we become resilient and intent on moving forward; do we complete our journey successfully…..or, do we choose to stay because change is difficult and requires effort? We are overwhelmed with the thought of redirecting and making the adjustments necessary to alter our current position. It is much easier to resign ourselves, to simply give up and remain at the wrong destination.
Perhaps you can visualize yourself in the car with your GPS system…..recalculating…..make a U turn…..
We all know “life is short” and “change is hard”, but prayerfully consider your destination and your pathway to reaching happiness and contentment. You are stronger than you think you are, and if you make your journey through prayer, you will undoubtedly be guided to your true and intended destination. It is never too late to re-route, get back on track and find your way.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4
