Neutrogena Facepalm

by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent

One of my contributions to keeping the Kronberger household running is to perform the weekly grocery shopping. It is my role to brave the wild outdoors each weekend and to hunt and gather and provide for my family. Whether it’s a hike to the Trader Joe’s Outpost, or crossing the Commercial Divide to the WinCo Territory, I know how to literally bring home the bacon. And whether its price per ounce, amount of sodium, or suggested due date, I pride myself in obtaining the best nutrition at the lowest price.

This last weekend I had nearly conquered my shopping quest and was preparing to locate my favorite speedy checker when I noticed a late addition to the bottom of my shopping list. Neutrogena Face Wipes! How could it be? I was almost done. Couldn’t the ladies of the house simply use damp leaves? We have a recycling bin full of them. Yet with my innate sense of direction (and ability to read), I located my final prey quickly. Talk about sticker shock! $6.30! I wish they sold them in the bulk section so I could grab only seven wipes (they could share). While the generic brand was three times cheaper, 18 years of marriage has taught me that when the brand is on the list, it’s there for a reason.

No longer the victorious warrior, I grudgingly looked for my favorite speedy checker. Nowhere in sight! So of course I chose the longest line with the most delays. When finally bagging my groceries, God looked down on my suffering. The Neutrogena Face Wipes wouldn’t scan! A gift from God! But the checker didn’t get the message. Instead, he said he could just type in a price. He asked me, “Do you know how much these face wipes cost?” Without thinking I quoted the $6.30 and finished the transaction.

As I walked back to my car, my flesh was a bit disappointed with itself. I didn’t even consider quoting a lower price to the checker! Temporary amnesia is common among tribal hunters and I could have suggested a cheaper price. But the Lord’s Spirit brought a smile upon my face of flesh. What else is a man to do? “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” Romans 8:5.  If I was going to praise Him and honor Him in my home, in my car, and at work, I suppose it would be natural to continue integrity at the supermarket.

This silly story is a convenient example of how our days are full of mental decisions that can be determined by the flesh or by the Spirit. Don’t get me wrong. I have plenty of experience with both. Perhaps next week’s article will be an example of fleshly failure. But I am reminded of the importance of making Jesus and our faith the hub of our life’s wheel. If we make Him just a spoke, then it gives room for the other spokes to be completely independent of Him and driven by the hub of our flesh. And we know how that often goes. But when He is the true center, then all of the spokes of our lives consistently give room for Him to be honored. And the stakes couldn’t be higher as the eyes of our little ones see more than we think. 
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– Adam Kronberger / Superintendent