Newsflash: Grocery Shopping was FUN!

As I've mentioned before (hopefully not ad nauseum) I have seldom enjoyed grocery shopping. It's near the top of the list of duties I dread.

I have been praying over the past months (and asking for accountability in this area from some close friends) that my perspective on this task would change. I knew I couldn't drum up excitement for it, regardless how well I was prepared, how good the deals were, how uncrowded the store would be, or whatever.

But let me tell you. For the past two weeks, or maybe longer, I have been sick. Really sick--coughing, fever at times, runny nose, chest congestion, headache, you name it. Many times I asked God for mercy to heal me on the spot. When He didn't heal me completely (one or two symptoms would disappear but new ones uprise) I wondered what He was up to. I have been sick maybe 12 times in my whole life. Just have a really strong immune system, I guess.

So two weeks of oatmeal, cereal , quick bag meals, fast food, pizza and other not-so-tempting meals to serve the family, yesterday I was a different person. The sun was shining, my spirits lifted, my body felt stronger, and I wanted to grocery shop!

Excuse me. I said I wanted to grocery shop. Me? What? I MUST be sick, not well!

But no, I ventured into Weis and it was like my senses came alive. EVerything looked so colorful,so pretty, so appetizing. I found great deals on meat, produce, and bread. I found no crowd, no lines, no glitches. I even found a plant of fresh basil that I bought because it just smelled sooooooooo good. (Even a lady I passed in one aisle said, "Is that basil? Reminds me of summer!" I said, "That's why I picked it up. I can't wait for summer!"

I came home and treated to the family to New York steak that I had marinated in oil and herbs. Joel asked if he could help, so I gave him the artist's job of arranging canteloupe, strawberries, and bananas on a bed of lettuce. Sarah cut up potatoes and boiled them for mashing. Paul and Ben kept asking, "Is it ready yet?" I whipped up some honey with mustard and oil for a dressing on a bright salad of stoplight peppers, red lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

While helping in the kitchen, JOel said, "Mom, did you get this from Rachael Ray or did you think of it out of your own head?"

How good it was that God allowed me to be down for so long that when I got up, I wanted to do the thing I used to dread.