I wish you could meet my friend Jen. She runs this grocery store in Metaline Falls, the little town a mile up the road from where I live. She does the hiring and the firing, the ordering and the stocking, the selling and the sales. She does everything in her power to ensure this tiny, though ridiculously well-stocked, store stays profitable. For that alone, the citizens of this area owe her a giant debt of gratitude.
But selling food is not all she does. She also acts as her own competition.
Every week, a small truck from Rural Resources in Colville, an hour's drive and a trip over Tiger Pass away, visits Metaline Falls with a load of canned goods, frozen goods, fresh produce, breads, and bakery items, all slated for distribution to the community's needy.
Jen, the grocer who needs to make a profit to keep her store running, is one of the most ardent supporters of the food truck. She promotes the truck, advertises for the truck, and encourages her customer to meet the truck, in hopes they'll take home the foods they need.
Jen's two ongoing concerns seem to clash - to a major degree - and I found myself curios about her involvement in the food truck's success. I asked her about it, and she responded in a way that inspired me to write this blog entry. She said (and I paraphrase) the community had welcomed her and loved her through several earlier trials and seeing that everyone stays fed is her way of saying thank you and returning their love, with interest.
I commented that the food truck cuts into her profits and threatens the success of her store. She replied (more paraphrasing here) that her focus is not on running a grocery store, but on making sure everyone has food. That's what she was called to do. She has no doubt, if she remains true to her calling, God will bless the store's success and keep it afloat.
I'm not sure how other grocers around the country see it but looking through the eyes of Jen the grocery store lady, that's what love looks like in Metaline Falls.
