Room Enough to Receive It

Every two weeks, like clock work, I go grocery shopping. I call it the "big shop" and I have been doing it for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching my mom go on her big shopping trip every other week while I was a kid; and when I got married, I figured that must be the way it's done. So that's what I do. When Kris gets paid, I do the bills on Friday morning and Saturday, some time during the day (unfortunately my mom's custom of doing it at 7:00 a.m. "before the crowds" didn't find its way into my tradition), I get my big shopping done. I head to the grocery store for 1-2 hours of uninterrupted shopping pleasure. I really do like it. I don't shop coupons (I know I should) and I don't make lists (a creature of habit, I usually stock up on the same stuff); I just hit the store and go isle by isle filling my cart to the brim. When they ask me at the check out if I found everything I needed, I usually reply, "I sure hope so" as if to say, "don't I have enough here to cover it?"

This morning, I knew I was going to have to hit the store early so I could get my shopping done before settling in for a day of general conference watching. So I sacrificed my lazy Saturday morning for an early trip to the grocery store to make sure we were good for the next two weeks. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see it packed. Subconsciously I figured that was normal for a Saturday morning. But when I got inside, I found out the store was holding a huge 6-hour sale--one I would have missed on a regular big shop day (blessing for planning my day around conference). And I kid you not when I say the atmosphere was akin to the day-after-Thanksgiving madhouse. It was crazy. But I joined right in. And at the end of the trip, I actually came in a little under budget and made a hall on things like ground beef, bread, buns and ice cream for $0.99 (to name a few of the deals).

When I got home, I started to unload all the groceries. I put things away in the kitchen and the food storage downstairs and headed out to put stuff away in the freezer. Now let me say, this freezer is a relatively new addition to our household. For years my mom wondered how on earth I survived without a freezer in the garage (avid food shopper herself, remember) so one year for Christmas that's what she and my dad gave us. I remember thinking when we got it, "How will we ever fill this thing?" Well, today the question was, "Will I get it all in?" And as I asked myself that question, I immediately heard in my head the end of the following scripture: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). I was struck with a forceful reminder that the Lord is watching over our family, even during hard economic times, because we have tried to be faithful tithe payers. He absolutely honors his promises. We don't make tons of money, and we don't have everything there is out there to have. But we have always had enough and we have always been richly blessed for honoring God with tithing. I know absolutely the source of all our blessings, and it's not of our own doing. I am so thankful for a Father in Heaven who takes care of us with more that we have room to receive, even when what we have to offer is so small in return.