The Last Thirty Feet #397
If you’d like to hear this message instead of reading it, tune in to the Living Your Legacy Podcast.
The Last Thirty Feet #397
Do you dread going to Wal-Mart, Kroger, Sam's Club, or Costco? I usually do as soon as I see their parking lot. Two months ago, when I tried to park at Kroger, I almost hit a shopping cart. So I simply backed up and parked in a different spot, then pushed the cart back to the pen, cursing the lazy person who left it. Then last month, I went to Costco and saw at least six carts randomly left unattended in the parking lot.
I happen to believe that every shopping cart has a message. It's much more than a rolling basket. If you think about it, every cart has been pushed by someone before you and will be pushed by someone after you. Legacy works the same way. Someone invested in you, and now it’s your turn to invest in someone else.
If every shopping cart has the potential to bless the next person, then here's an idea to try the next time you go to the store. Take an index card and write a short note of encouragement for the next person who uses your cart. It doesn't have to be long or include your name. Maybe it's as simple as, "I hope you have a great day. God loves you," or "You matter more than you know." Fold the note and tuck it into the cart where the next shopper is sure to see it. You may never know who reads it, but a glimmer of hope may be exactly what they need in that moment.
Now the shopping is over, you're ready to unload the groceries and get home. But you’re not done yet. I think the thirty feet between your parking space and the cart pen may be the most important walk of the entire trip, because one small decision, when no one is watching, can reveal something about your heart.
As you shut your car door, ask yourself if you will leave the shopping cart in someone else's way, or will you take a few extra seconds to walk the last thirty feet to make life a little easier for the next person?
Jesus emphasized that little things matter when He said, "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much" (Luke 16:10). Returning the cart isn't a monumental event that earns applause. No one will thank you either. It's about refusing to leave your shopping cart in someone else's way. Ultimately, it's about serving the next person you may never meet.
Also, every trip to the store becomes another opportunity for you to model the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12). When your children watch you, they're learning more than where the cart belongs. They're witnessing whether life is about serving others or serving yourself.
So the next time you're loading groceries into your car, remember that the last thirty feet may be the most important part of your shopping trip. So I encourage you to choose to push the cart the last thirty feet for someone else. Remember, living a legacy isn't about doing something extraordinary once. It's about doing ordinary things faithfully, one small act at a time.
The last thirty feet isn't just about a shopping cart. It's a way of life. If you're ready to walk the last thirty feet and begin living your legacy, visit LighthouseLegacies.com and join me on the Living Your Legacy Podcast.
