Marathon Grocery Shopping

You could say it was kind of like a game, or a teaching moment, or a way to get to sit and drink a coke instead of grocery shop…

Part of the goal is PDE is learning.  Okay, most of the goal is learning.  Learning to be a mom, learning to cook, clean, work, do laundry… and also grocery shop on a budget.  Grocery shopping had gotten out of hand these past few weeks.  The girls were just throwing things in the cart that they wanted and not stopping to check cost or necessity.  So… I staged an intervention.

Yesterday I sent them out with a set amount of money and a calculator to buy food for a week!  It was amazing how frugal they became in an instant.  I told C she couldn’t not just buy rice and beans and jello b/c I’m afraid I would lose Doña Oneyda!  They were going to the bodegas outside for cheese, eggs, fruit, whatever could save them money.  They were paying attention to prices and weighing things before committing to them.  It was incredible.  And they did great!  I had to give them $5 extra because they forgot laundry soap and napkins :)  But that’s not bad considering.

It took almost 2 hours.  That is a long time in a grocery store.

But here’s the deal with ministry and with parenting… it takes an awful lot of time and investment to teach and encourage and correct.  Every time I get annoyed because I wanted this to be a “quick trip” or a “quick conversation” I just have to remember that I’m investing in a life, in a person and I want them to see Jesus in me.  And the Lord has been more than patient with me as I am slow on the learning curve.  He pursues me and teaches me and reminds me and forgives me… and I still have a lot to learn.  In the meantime He reminds me to be patient with this girls and pay attention to how far they have come and work hard with them in the process.

One day they will grocery shop in 20 minutes with a baby in one arm pushing the cart with one hand… because that’s what moms can do.  Right now they are kids with a calculator and cravings for chocolate cookies just trying to learn to make good choices :)