When you're at the supermarket and you've put all your shopping in your car, do you take the shopping trolley back to its rightful place or do you leave it there and drive off?
I just leave it and drive off. It's not because I'm lazy or thoughtless or anything like that. Quite the contrary, actually. I leave it there for the man employed by the supermarket to come out and collect all the trolleys and put them in the right place by the entrance. If I and everyone else did that, then that man would be out of a job. So I am helping him being employed.
And when I'm in the supermarket, I like to go to the check-out where there's an assistant taking my money. I never go to the self-service check-out where you do your own checking and pay by Card. If everyone did their self-checking then all the check-out assistants would be out of work.
Time was, when you went to the petrol/gas station a man came and filled the car tank for you. He also cleaned the windscreen and put water in the radiator. Now it's all self-service and that man filling your tank has lost his job.
In the same vein, whilst driving home I saw a man with a trolley picking up litter from the side-walk. If every one took their litter home or disposed of it properly, that man would be out of a job.
I'm sure you can think of many other examples that if people behaved one way or another it would affect the non-employment of someone else.
If we all behaved steadfastly properly and we were on our best behaviour then the devil would be out of work. There'd be no one to tempt because we'd all be praying.
Instead, I often see sad faces around me everywhere, in the street, the shops and even in church. I tell you, some people in my church are a miserable lot. Christians should be happy, cheerful, joyful. If they've understood the Good News properly then being happy is the only option. If you want to make the devil mad; be happy!
But the world is full of anger these days. Too many people angry about something or other. The cost of living, their job, their situation, their marriage, their life even. One day they'll realise they spent their life being angry.
Why can't people wake up and be grateful for what they've got? And if they're not happy about something then do something about it. You can't expect God to solve all your problems. He is not Superman at your call ready to obey your every wish. He is God your Creator who loves you and expects you to do the same.
Do you want to make God happy? Do something good for someone else; and if you can, do it in secret so no one knows. Even the person you did good to.
The world is changing fast. And not for the better. Anyone aged 20 or under does not realise how much and how fast the world has changed. I mean it. Think back to the year 2000 and consider how much the world has changed.
What are you doing to make your little bit of it better?
Anyway, enough thinking. My brain hurts.
Hi Victor, I am trying to share the love of God, which can be found in His Son Jesus. There is no greater love than the love of our Saviour. Being filled with hatred is like drinking poison. It not only reveals the mind of Satan to others but causes us to miss out on what God has for us. Eternal life can only be found in Jesus. God bless.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Brenda. God bless you.
Delete...do I take the shopping trolley back to its rightful place? Of course!
ReplyDeleteSomeone might lose a job because of what you do.
DeleteGod bless, Tom.
I do a lot of my grocery shopping at Aldi, where you have to pay a quarter to get a basket-and if you don't return it you lose the money :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's true, some supermarkets do that ... and the guy who collected the run-away trolleys has lost his job.
DeleteGod bless, Kathy.
Yep I take the cart back to the cart bin.... I want the dude to get a better job! maybe a cashier, but wait that is out. Maybe he could take the bosses place. He needs to retire anyway.
ReplyDeleteBUT you are right we do need to make this world a better place. Smiles and caring helps a lot.
Sherry & jack (Sherry likes to ride in the cart when I take it back anyway!!!!)
Yes, we need to make the world a better place; that's why I don't return the cart. To help someone keep his job.
DeleteI too like to ride in the cart, but the manager said he will stop me buying there if I do it again. Sherry must be very young looking, that's why the manager has not stopped her.
Keep smiling, Jack and Sherry, and may God bless you always.
The best thing we can ever do is to spread the joyful news of Jesus with others. May He help me to remember that!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Victor!
Amen, Martha. God bless you.
DeleteYes, yes ... and yes, again! I never really thought about it that way; obviously, Big Corp reaping profits by not having to pay wages and benefits. Today's young people don't seem to mind; they probably question Customer Service or why their elders feel put out.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I doing to make mine a better world? Trying not to worry ... consciously appreciating ... and reading Good Stuff like your blog.
What a kind thing to say about my Blog. Thank you so much, Mevely. I do try ... in a humourous way sometimes, to make a point. Life is getting difficult and people are getting angrier and greedier. Each one of us can do our little bit to make the small space around us better.
DeleteBig corporations and businesses seem intent on increasing their profits each year. Not just make a profit; but continually increase it. Mathematically, this is not possible. You cannot constantly increase profit with the same number of consumers. There's a limit to what each one of us can eat, drink, wear, use and so on.
God bless you, Mevely, my friend.
We always bring back our trolleys because the parking lot is small and you pay €2 to use the trolley. It encourages people to return it. They don't have an employee to police the area.
ReplyDeleteYes Bill. Some of our supermarkets are the same. It will not be long before all of them have a fee to use the trolley and then they will get rid of their extra staff.
DeleteGod bless.
I always enjoy your posts. Regine
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you Regine. Call here more often.
DeleteGod bless.
Around here there are several places around the parking lot to return carts.
ReplyDeleteI agree so many people are angry about everything!!!
I try to be a light in the world and truly be a good Christian.
Indeed, there are too many angry people these days.
DeleteGod bless, Happyone.
The car parks at the supermarket have metal corrals amongst the places for cars where you can put your shopping trolley and it won't hit another person's car or block a parking space from being used, but it still has to be rounded up by the person doing that job. It's a good compromise.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about how we could put the enemy out of a job, and with smiles on our faces. I try to do small things I see need to be done, and secretly sometimes if I can.
Yes, here too we have supermarkets with special places to return your trolley.
DeleteGod bless, Mimi.
Enjoyed and appreciated reading these thoughts, Brother Victor. Like you, I see places where technology has stolen the livelihood of humans. And now all this talk about AI (artificial intelligence) will further escalate this situation.
ReplyDeleteI will say in regard to shopping carts at the grocery store parking lot, I do take my empty cart to either the enclose cart coral or I take it up to the store. Years ago I came out of the store to see that the very strong wind had apparently blown a shopping cart smack into my driver's door, making a terrible gash. The damage needed repair but the cost was less than my insurance deductible. As a service to mankind, I put my cart where it is very unlikely to blow or roll into someone's car.
You make a good point about the carts, Barbara. I must admit, more often than not, I try to put my cart in a safe place. But I deplore the loss of jobs through mechanisation and other means - like self-service check-outs and self-service gas stations.
DeleteAs for AI; when I look around me I see very little natural intelligence, so I don't hold much hope for AI. Some people I know go to University to learn how to be stupid.
God bless always.
Thank you for stopping by my blog earlier. I agree with some of your thoughts, but not all of them, which is fine, we are all entitled to our own opinion. I think the grocery carts should always be returned to the cart return, isn't that what they are there for? The person who comes out to collect them still has to take them from the return to the store. If we all left our carts just anywhere, not only would there be damage to cars, but it would be a mess and difficult to park. Sometimes I go to self-check out and other times I go to the register's that actually have a cashier at them. Christians are not always happy, but should have the joy of Christ, the two are not the same. I also agree that the world is changing fast. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cindy for visiting here and taking the time to comment. You're always welcome; call again soon and often.
DeleteI sometimes use humour to make my point. I agree that we should return the carts to their rightful place; but deplore the fact that more jobs are disappearing by new procedures like self-service, computerisation, AI and so on.
You are right; Christians should be more joyful and show the world that we live and believe the Good News.
God bless you.
Sorry but I think you have the wrong end of the stick - take up shoplifting and keep more security people in work, don’t look after your teeth so dentists have more work, etc etc
ReplyDeleteAlso if local authorities didn’t have to employ people to pick up litter the money could be better spent
Thank you Anonymous. You have a great sense of humour; and you should visit here more often.
DeleteGod bless.