Heavens Grocery Store

I want to tell yall a short story about this title, to help you understand why it means so much to me.

You see, I’m the office manager at a trucking company. And well truck drivers are just people like everybody else.

And I have learned you can’t judge a book by its cover, and more importantly you can’t know a person’s heart, by the way, they look on the outside.

We had a truck driver many years ago, he was an older guy, talked loud, smoked a really smelly pipe all the time, wore jeans, black leather vest, cowboy boots and a wallet with a chain attached.

He drove for us for quite some time, I always thought he had a biker outlaw image and could stretch the truth like a rubber band.

You never knew what was true and what wasn’t, most of the time it was the latter.

But anyway, he was the last person, I would have ever thought would do this.

But one afternoon, after he got in for a trip, he said…. ” Hey Christine, I got something for ya, when I saw it I thought of you.”

I had no idea what to expect.

Ron was a unique person, to put it mildly.

But to my surprise it was this beautiful poem, framed, that brought tears when I read it.

I brought it home and hung it on the wall, I still read it often, and yes it brings kind thoughts of a tough image man, that seemed to have a tender heart tucked away inside under all that tough exterior image.

I don’t know the author, I wish I did so I could recognize him here and tell him what a beautiful true story he or she had written.

I hope it touches your heart as well.

“Heaven’s Grocery Store”

I was walking down life’s highway a long time ago,

One day I saw a sign that said “Heaven’s Grocery Store.”

As I got a little closer the door came open wide,

And when I came to myself, I was standing inside.

I saw a host of angels, they were standing everywhere,

One handed me a basket, and said: “Child, shop with care.”

Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store,

And all you couldn’t carry, you could come back for more.

First I got some Patience, Love was in the same row,

Farther down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go.

I got a box or two of Wisdom, a bag or two of Faith,

I just couldn’t miss the Holy Ghost, for it was all over the place.

I stopped to get some Strength and Courage to help me run this race,

I didn’t forget Salvation, for Salvation that was free.

So I tried to get enough to save both you and me.

Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill,

For I thought I had everything to do my Master’s will.

As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and I had to put that in,

For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.

Peace and Joy were plentiful, they were near the last shelf,

Songs and Praises were hanging, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel, “Now how much do I owe?”

He just smiled and said, “Just take them everywhere you go.”

Again I smiled and said to him, “How much do I really owe?”

He smiled again and said, “My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago!”