![](https://philressler.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shopping-cart.jpeg)
See this shopping cart. It is a common sight in many grocery store parking lots. It’s left abandoned and alone.
I am not sure why this person left the cart. There could be multiple reasons. Maybe they were in a hurry and couldn’t take the 30 seconds to return it to the cart corral. Maybe they just don’t care that no one can use this parking spot until the cart is moved. Maybe they felt it was beneath them and it was someone else’s responsibility to take care of the cart.
It is such a small thing. It is not a big deal. There are much worse things than leaving a shopping cart abandoned in a parking lot. There is almost no reason to write about it, except …
Little things matter. The way you approach the little things tells a lot about you as a person. The little things are the evidence of your character and integrity. It is through the little things that you prove your faithfulness.
What does the abandoned shopping cart show?
- a person too busy and hurried?
- a person that is inconsiderate and self-absorbed?
- a person with a sense of entitlement?
Jesus says:
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10, ESV)
How faithful are you in the little things? Because if you want to do great things, you need to do the little things like returning your shopping cart!
This is part of growing as a disciple. It is the art of applying God’s Word to every area of our lives. Few people would draw the connection between a shopping cart in the parking lot and living faithful to God. But it has everything to do with faithfulness. Faithfulness is not shown in grand gestures but in everyday decisions.
The picture of the abandoned shopping cart is not about an abandoned shopping cart. It is the picture of a mind and heart that has abandoned God. It is the picture of a person weighed down by the troubles and concerns of the world. It is the picture of a person with big problems because they fail to take responsibility for the little things. It is the picture of a broken person who needs the grace of God. It is the picture of me. It is the picture of you. It is the picture of why Jesus came. He came to do what we have failed to do.
Dang, once again you have shown how a random tangent can be directly related to keeping us aligned with intentional efforts to focus on God! Thanks, Phil!
Thank you for your sharing .
Likely you are right – an entitled, it’s-someone-else’s-job kind of person left the cart in the parking space. But it could have been someone whose child was melting down and needed to get home 10 minutes ago. Someone whose phone rang with terrible news of a death in the family or a loved one in the hospital, who needed to depart with haste. It could have been left by a person in need of grace and understanding. Maybe write about that, too?
I imagine that might be the case in a rare incident. Make sure to check out the last paragraph. We all come up short and need the grace of God. At the same time a lot of people wonder why they have the problems and the issues in their lives that they do. I counsel people with “big” problems relationally, financially, and emotionally. Often, their “big” problems are the consequence of many little things they fail to attend to. There are always excuses. They carry victim mentality that excuses the behavior but creates a never-ending cycle of negative consequences.
Just saying. Have you ever read/listened to David Foster Wallace’s famous commencement address, “This is Water?” I review this at least annually. Worth the time, if you’ve never experienced it. Addresses this very topic. Just Google it.
I haven’t read that one. I will check it out.
A wonderful perspective and application of God’s Word. Thank you!
Thanks!
Thanks Pastor Phil! I’ve read that last paragraph 4 times because it is so true!
How can you look at an abandoned shopping cart again and not think of these words. Would you move it to it’s proper place or just turn your back on it and keep walking. God did not turn his back on us he sacrificed hit son for our sins.
Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom! The carts left in the parking lots have been a pet peeve of mine and I go around collecting them and return them to the cart corral so they don’t do damage to cars. It us just being respectful.
Or the person may have injuries and it hurts to walk every step and sometimes it is nice for the next wounded person to grab a cart nearby and help them walk into the grocery store because they are attempting to maintain their independence and not bother others with day to day responsibilities. It isn’t always obvious why individuals do what they choose. Be careful about judging. That is also a Christian goal…to be accepting of others.
I could care less if someone returns the shopping cart. It is between them and God. But at the same time many wonder why they have the issues in their lives that they do. And it because they overlook doing the little things. I had a girl come to my office one time wondering why her boyfriend broke up with her. In the meantime, they had been sleeping together and shacking up. That is not exactly the way to build a committed relationship that will last. It’s doing God’s work, God’s way, and trusting in his supply.
I believe if we are committed to living faithful and do the right thing that God will empower us to do things we may not be able to do and that includes little things like returning a shopping cart. I believe that when we don’t have enough time that he will multiply the minutes to complete more projects. Psalm 103 talks about renew our youth like the eagles.
The last thing is that God does not call us to live independent. That is Americanism. Americans pride themselves in being self-sufficient and not needing anyone. And many people have abandoned God as a result trying to live without him. But God calls us to live dependent upon him and set aside our pride to ask for help when needed. When we fail to ask for help, we are potentially denying someone else the opportunity to serve.