Regular Retrieval

​​​by Adam Kronberger / Head of School

I have chosen grocery shopping to be one of my contributions to our weekly household operations. As a value-driven individual with particular tastes in the kitchen, the process of going on the hunt for the best products at the best price suits me just fine. Despite this perfect setup, I continue to fail in one key area of my shopping experience.  

After surveying our refrigerator and pantry, I am diligent to create a complete shopping list precisely in the order of the layout of the grocery store. No problem there. I generally remember to take my shopping list with me. No problem them (occasionally Mrs. K. has to text me a pic of the list). I am successful in checking off each item on the list as I tour the store in sync with my list. No problem there.

My challenge is at the checkout line. I always forget my bags! And we have some nice bags! My kids even bought me a special insulated bag for all of the cold items. Still, time and time again I am forced to pay for the brown paper bags that I usually overpack so they become a ship anchor and instantly rip with any attempt to lift them.

Forgetfulness is not new to mankind. The book of Deuteronomy repeatedly cautions the nation of Israel to “Take care, lest you forget…” Despite the constant provision from God for the nation of Israel, He knew the nature of His fallen creation and how easily they would forget His faithfulness to them and break the covenant they had made with Him. One of the reasons we forget is called retrieval failure. When memories and information are not regularly retrieved, eventually they will be lost.

A key characteristic of true disciples of Jesus Christ is that they drink regularly from the fountain of God’s Word. This joyful discipline can be a daily occurrence in our thoughts, words, and actions. Early in the morning over a cup of coffee, on the road to and from your destinations, or with a loved one over a quiet moment. I grocery shop on a weekly basis and have retrieval failure just about every week. Maybe I need to start shopping on a daily basis!
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– Adam Kronberger / Head of School