Checking In, Checking Out

The other night, after a relaxing evening of dog-sitting for a friend, I headed across the street to a grocery store to secure nourishment for the following day's lunch. I took my time because, shortly after I arrived they announced over the intercom that the cash registers were off line. So I browsed around, selected some things, put others back, mostly because of price and not because I didn't want them.

Finally I casually make my way to the very lengthy lines at the checkout, and just settle in for a long wait. Others weren't as patient as I was, abandoning their grocery items and huffily leaving the store. At least the line was moving a bit and I was getting closer. Soon I was 2nd in line, a perk of which was that there was something to lean against. I wasn't in a hurry and I needed my lunch stuff so I was okay, and I mused about trusting the way things unfold because there is always meaning behind what happens -- even off line cash registers.

As I continued to stand there, the thought occurred to me, "What if they give us all of this for free since their equipment wasn't working?" I looked around at all the people with all the food and realized, "Probably not going to happen." "Still," I thought, "If it were my store that's what I would do. Oh! How cool would it be to have enough money to just walk up and say to let everyone go with what they have and I would pick up the tab?"

I wasn't standing there for long, after that train of thoughts, when another employee came running up to my line's cashier with one of those hand-held thingys that reads UPC codes for inventory. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, thinking maybe they were going to start checking people out by hand, until after completing a scan of the food of the fellow in front of me, the cashier looked at him and said, "Have a nice night!"

They were taking what we had out of inventory and letting us have it for free!

A part of me thought, "I could have gotten so much more!" But once that thought passed, I realized what a gift this was, and breathed a silent thank you. Thoughts of abundance and trusting the Universe and knowing I was taken care of, flowed through my mind with the warm glow of gratitude filling my heart. It was a small miracle, yes, worth all of $12, but it's the little ones that come together to form the background tapestry of our lives. My gratitude increased to include this lesson on top of the food.

I gathered my groceries together and was walking to my car when another point, another lesson, struck me. I had put a number of items back out of fear of lack of funds, but had I overridden that fear and decided I was worth the extra expense of having what I want, trusting in the abundance of the Universe rather than lack, it would have been mine now for free. It brought to mind the whole idea of reaching for what you want, not just what you think you are allowed, or think that you deserve. The Universe does give you what you want, not just what you need, if you believe -- if you know -- you deserve it.

I said another little prayer of thanks for this additional epiphany as I drove away enjoying the one extra little luxury I had allowed myself -- a milky way bar.