Last Friday, my wife and I went to Superstore to buy some groceries for a dinner we had planned for some guests. I bought five packs of beef grilling ribs, the price of one which I noted was an exact $8.00. Each pack was priced differently since they were based on weight.
We loaded all the groceries on our van and I didn`t think about the rib until the next day. As I tried to prepare the beef for marinating, I couldn`t find them. I asked my wife to look for them as well, I checked our van, nothing.
So I went back to Superstore to buy some more ribs as we may have left the original ones in the shopping cart. At Superstore, I decided to ask Customer Service, just in case somebody found them and returned them. The Customer Service Clerk gave me a sarcastic look and asked me, “do you think somebody would return the beef ribs if they found them“. I told her, “you never know“, still believing that there are still decent people out there who would actually return things to lost and found.
I was still a bit annoyed on how people can be so cynical and not hope in the good but I still had the mission of buying beef ribs. I was lucky to have found exactly 5 packs of beef grilling ribs left and picked them quickly. I noted that one pack was priced exactly at $8.00.
At home just for curiosity, I looked at the receipt from the previous day. I noted that the prices of the 5 packs were $6.18, $5.58, $6.70, $5.62 and $8.00. I then looked at the receipt from my recent purchase and the prices were $6.18, $5.58, $6.70, $5.62 and $8.00, an exact match, just like lottery tickets. I then thought of the probability of having 5 packs of grilling ribs that had different weight and price, match the same pack of ribs the next day having the same weight and price.
As much as Superstore refused to give me a refund, what was more satisfying is that knowing that someone must have found those ribs and returned them. That in these ribs, there was hope in humanity and that the work we do in the community will prosper, because there is good in people. Just as God brought out the best in people through these ribs, He will bring out the best in people in the work that we do as long as we continue to hope, believe, and persevere.
The ribs tasted better than any ribs I`ve cooked or bought, much more than the spices I added, what made them tastier was the dash of hope and goodness.
God is awesome!
Tito Gee Dec. 31, 2012