A World Full of Empty Floating Grocery Bags (short version)

I was sitting out on my front porch reading my bible and listening to music on my iPod the other day.  There was a nice cool breeze and it was just a wonderful time to be outside.  For some reason I looked up and a plastic grocery bag across the street caught my eye.  Just a white empty grocery bag riding the invisible waves of the wind.  It looked so lonely all by itself.  For some reason I was really intrigued by this bag.  At first I was appalled that someone would be so careless as to let a bag go and not chase after it.  Even if you were to put something little in it then it would not fly away, then you could pick it up and throw it away or recycle or do something else with it. 

Litter really annoys me.  Especially when it is something as big as a grocery bag, if you don’t have a trash next to you than put it in your pocket and throw it later.  I am sitting there still listening to my music.  I try to read my bible some more but instead I find my eyes fixed on this bag.  As random thoughts ran through my mind I had convinced myself that I should go do something about this empty lifeless grocery bag.  That was a good thought until I remembered it was all the way across the street.  If it was closer I would definitely pick it up.  But for the mean time I figured some other good citizen will come along pick it up and through it away.  I was busy being a good Christian and a good Pastor, the wind was beautiful and I had God’s word in my lap.  So instead of having to put down the word of God I decided I will let someone else pick it up and take care of it.  Back to reading I went.

I read on for a few more verses, but I can not focus for some reason.  The breeze had picked up just slightly and so I looked up to enjoy it and there about four feet from my porch steps was the plastic bag.  It had made it all the way from the other street to my front yard.  I shifted my weight in the chair with the thought that I would go pick it up now that it is close enough to where I would barely have to move to get it.  But I am frozen in my chair.  I can’t move, I want to…… actually I don’t think I wanted to because I was comfortable in my chair with my music.  All I could do is stare. And as I watched this bag it was as if time had stopped around me I no longer knew what song was playing, my bible had closed, the breeze was still there but there was just something incredible about this bag.  Even though the cool breeze still blew the bag just stood there almost as if it was on a long invisible pull and someone was rotating it around and around and around.  I remember thinking I should do something.  But I did not move.  I recall wishing that someone would just come and take care of this bag!  But no one came.  I reached out for the bag, but was still too far away to reach without moving.  It was as if it was speaking to me saying I heard you from across the street and I came closer won’t you do something with me.  I put my iPod in my pocket so I could go grab the bag. But it was too late the bag had all ready blown away, lost in the invisible waves of the wind.

            As I slouched back down in my chair to get comfortable again I did not read my bible, I did not turn my music louder, I just sat there contemplating my actions.  Why didn’t I act.  Why didn’t I get up and throw the bag away.  Even when it was across the street it would have taken very little effort on my part to grab it, take it inside and recycle the bag.  I sat there and believe or not my conscience started getting heavy.  I know it sounds crazy but as I sat there and contemplated the scenario, I didn’t feel bad about the bag.  I felt bad because I realized that we live in a world full of empty floating grocery bags.  Except those bags represent people.

            In John 5:2-9 we have the story of a paralyzed man who sat next to a pool at Bethesda.  A place where people believed they would be healed, if the people got in the pool when the angels come down and stir up the pool.  Well there was a man who sat close to the pool but could never get into the pool because he had an “infirmity” for many years, verse 5 tells us 38yrs to be exact.  So for 38 years this man would sit there as people just passed him by.  Maybe people saw him from across the way and figured it was too far to walk to help him to the pool.  A more common scenario is that they thought they would get ill if they touched him, thus becoming paralyzed themselves.  Maybe others thought awww someone else will deal with him.  Maybe they doubted their own ability to help.

            How many people in this world can you think of that need to hear the Gospel?  I am sure we can all think of several opportunities we have had to take the empty bags of this world and put something in them.  Some sort of hope of the messiah.  Something as little as telling others Jesus Loves You, and He has a plan for your life.  We refrain from speaking these words to people in fear that it may offend someone.  As believers in Christ if we do not offend people once and a while with the word of God than we are not doing our job.  So I encourage you to reach out to those empty, lifeless, floating, grocery bags in life and fill them with some sort of hope.  Even just a little nugget of hope is enough to weigh them down from floating the invisible waves of the wind.  They are not too far away, it will not take a whole lot of effort, someone else will not take action, it is up to you to be that someone.  Hurry before they drift back into the world as nothing more than empty, lifeless, floating grocery bags.  And if you happen to be one of the bags I tell you today Jesus Loves You, He has not forgotten about you, and He does have a plan for your life.

a world full of empty floating grocery bags

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