This is my politically incorrect blog post, so if you are easily offended maybe you should not read this one.

I’m not normally very politically correct, but this one just might be considered by some to have gone too far. 

It all started with a trip to Costco. We don’t usually do any shopping on Sunday but we were hungry and there were two things – which grew to five things – that we needed to get.

Disclaimer: toilet paper and Gatorade were not what we went to Costco for.

We also really needed lunch and thought at Costco we could kill two birds with one stone. 

… After looking at the “two birds” statement, I should clarify that that wasn’t the politically incorrect part of my blog, so if you are offended because you love birds, sorry.

After we picked up the two/five items we needed, Lily and I headed for the cash. And no surprise, the lines were long. 

A lot of people were shopping on Sunday afternoon. The store was so busy; the checkout lines were six carts deep and more. 

When we finally got through, we went straight to the food counter and found their new feature of express ordering stations. We just tapped pictures on a screen of the items we wanted and paid for them right there. It was quick, convenient, and the only time there was no line. 

Then reality hit. We were stopped with many others waiting to have our number called to collect our food. 

After picking up our tray of food, we turned and gazed at the sea of humanity that was seated in the food court section. 

That was disheartening. Everything had gone so well, but now we had nowhere to eat. I was holding a tray of food and Lily had a cart in tow with five measly things strewn across the bottom. 

I went to get my cup filled, while Lily spied a vacant spot and made her way there with the cart. Someone beat her to it. 

There were no other empty seats … except the handicap table. 

We looked around and saw no one in wheelchairs, so we sat down. I even sat with only one cheek on the seat in an attempt to make it look like I was not really sitting there and was almost ready to leave. 

I wondered for a moment if we might get fined for sitting at the table, but then remembered fines apply to cars, not seats. 

As we ate, we started to get comfortable in our seats, not really looking around … until Lily spotted someone in a scooter. 

The jig was up. We started to pull our food together, telling the man we were getting up. He said it was okay; they didn’t have their food yet. 

Then we had a little conversation with him as we kept eating in the handicap seats while he waited for his wife to arrive. 

And then it struck me …

Who needed that seat more? The guy who was already seated in his scooter or the other guy (me) standing, juggling a tray with food and drink and trying to eat all at the same time? 

It seems to me, in that situation, I was more handicapped than the guy in the scooter was. He already had a lap to rest his tray on. I was helpless.

Here’s the thing: We are all helpless before God. We have nothing in ourselves to help our cause or case with God. We have no rights to petition Him with. We have no abilities that would make us valuable to Him. But oh, the loving grace of God that saw His Son, Jesus Christ, pay for our sin, and make it possible for us to be admitted to heaven … if you place your faith in Jesus. We are helpless without Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you thought would be your bargaining chip with God? Leave your comments and questions below.