Sugar Trail

It was my food shopping day.
I usually go to the grocery store in the morning.
However, this day, my husband and I went out to breakfast with friends.
I knew that I would go to the grocery store in the afternoon.

Every week, I could easily call my grocery order into the store.
Of course, there are variations, but often, I am replenishing the same items.
I am restocking my pantry.
Mostly, I am buying fresh fruits and vegetables that get eaten far too quickly.

I had my grocery list with the things that were the most important items to get that week.
I knew that I had quite a few things to get on the baking aisle.
Five pounds of sugar was in order.
I had just opened a bag from the baking cabinet and poured it into the canister.

I got a bag of sugar and put it into my shopping cart.
The baking aisle is almost directly in the middle of the store.
With produce tucked in the back of my shopping cart, I leave room for bulkier items.
I continued on with my list.

As I approached the dairy aisle and turned onto the bread aisle, I noticed it.
I was in my walking clothes and was wearing sneakers.
Something was slippery on the floor.
It’s not like them to have a messy floor, I thought to myself, a bit annoyed.

I made a mental note to be careful, since I did not want to slip and fall.
I noticed the slippery feeling on the frozen food aisle; I noticed it on the cleaning product aisle.
I was anxious to get in line, check out, and go home to have my afternoon tea.
I began to unload my shopping cart.

Some of the items looked a bit dusty on the top.
I blew off the little bit of dust and put the items on the belt.
I reached in to grab the five pound bag of sugar.
As I lifted it up, sugar came pouring out of a hole in the bag.

The sugar was like sand through a sieve.
The slippery floor was on account of me.
I was leaving a sugar trail everywhere I walked.
I was the one who made the mess on their floor.

Just as I realized this, I saw a woman with a dustpan and broom.
She had been going around the store following the sugar trail.
She was sweeping it up so no one would slip and fall.
It was all happening so fast.

I lifted the large package of paper towels that was on the bottom of my cart.
As I did so, sugar came pouring out of all the crevices.
I told the cashier, who gave me a paper towel, which was kind but not enough for this job.
I walked over to the customer service desk, which was next to my register.

The lady with the dustpan and broom was standing with the front end manager.
I don’t know where it’s coming from, I heard her say.
That would be me! I said sheepishly.
My bag of sugar must have had a hole in it; there’s also a pile of sugar at the register.

I go to this store every week.
They were extremely gracious about the whole thing.
The lady with the dustpan and brush went back to get me another bag of sugar.
She even got me another large package of paper towels as well.

I felt like Hansel and Gretel leaving breadcrumbs as they walked along.
A sugar trail could be found everywhere I walked.
It was on every aisle and around every bend.
There was no hiding where I had been.

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. (Proverbs 4:26)

I had no idea that I was leaving a sugar trail behind me.
I had no idea that I was the reason for the slippery floor.
What about my life? I thought.
What kind of example am I?

I don’t want to be the reason for someone’s foot to slip.
I don’t want to leave a lot of debris behind me.
I would hope that any dusting I leave behind has the aroma of Christ.
I would hope that any trail I leave will lead directly to Him.

Please, Father, may it be so.