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Even though I am usually in a hurry when I push my cart up and down the aisles of a bright, cheery super market, I often stop, read labels, compare prices, and shuffle through a fistful of coupons. There is such a variety of items to choose from that I find myself spending too much time making selections.

While I scurry from shelve to shelf picking up items on a Thanksgiving shopping list, I find myself getting frustrated about insignificant things. My favorite brand of stuffing mix was missing, another brand rested in its place.

Midway through the store, I forgot the lemons on my list which were prominently displayed and plainly in view right before I entered the check-out lane. I had to return to the front of the store to retrieve them. Several things had disappeared from the shelves where I usually found them. I finally found what I wanted but it had taken time to hunt them. I finally gave up on one item and asked a clerk for help. He cheerfully directed me down a lane and pointed out the item I needed to me. As is the fate of most shoppers, I left with everything on my list and plenty more too.

When about three quarters of my groceries were rung up at check-out, I saw the subtotal pop up. The figure made me swallow hard. When the final tally appeared, it brought my eyes out on stems, but my sheaf of coupons helped ease the blow a tad. Right at that moment I was thankful for the time I had spent clipping coupons while sitting in my recliner at night watching television. In fact, I thought of a lot of things to be thankful for that very minute, including being thankful the coupons were available and the store accepted them. More important, I was thankful that I could pay for what I bought.

Those fleeting thoughts with a prayer came back to me the next day when my husband thumbed through a book that listed a program of “second mile mission giving,” sponsored by the United Methodist Churches. It focused on the needs of people in Europe, including some war torn countries.

Just a glance at the programs made it clear that my minor frustrations during grocery shopping were insignificant. It also reminded me that we Americans take most of our blessings for granted.

Let us not forget to be thankful to God for our abundance of blessings with those that are not so fortunate.

I wish you a glorious Thanksgiving holiday, filled with happiness, an overflowing Thanksgiving table, and blessed with gatherings of friends and loved ones.