Good Deed and Coveting

[Moksha]

This afternoon I helped a couple in the ward whose alternator went out in their van. They needed to buy groceries and pickup prescriptions (yes I know it is the Lord's Day).

The prescriptions went without a hitch. When we got to the grocery store, they had quite a few items to pickup. I followed them to the seafood counter. They had the butcher wrap up well over a hundred dollars worth of shrimp and snow crab.

It was then my good deed turned to thoughts of coveting. I love shrimp and crab. I seldom buy those items due to the cost, but when I eyeballed their haul my green eyed monster went into overdrive. It was so bad that I bought some ice cream as compensation.

Here I set out to do a good deed and ended up feeling nonspiritual as a result. However, writing about it seems to put things into perspective.

Do such feelings ever creep up on you?

[pam]

Coveting wouldn't have been my thoughts on this. My thought would have been one of annoyance. It would have been about them shopping for non essential items on the Sabbath. I'm not saying I never go shopping on Sunday because I do, but I would never have asked for or agreed on assistance to go and purchase what I would consider to be more luxury items than items that were not immediately needed. There goes my judgmental self again.

[miztrniceguy]

I spent over 3 hours last Sunday putting an alternator in my wife's car. Did I feel bad? Not one bit. It needed to be done, and it was the only day I could do it. I had no way to know an entire week of school would be canceled, but I still would have because I do not like the idea of my wife stuck home with 2 kids if there was an emergency.

[talisyn]

Wow I can't imagine not waiting til my vehicle got fixed before buying totally unnecessary stuff like shrimp. You must be really good friends with them

My eyes do get green sometimes when I see people buying things I really wish I could buy, but if given the choice between sea food and ice cream I would totally pick the mint chocolate chip one.

[miztrniceguy]

i would pick the ice cream, too....but chocolate. I find myself envious of people with snowblowers. never thought i would ever feel that way, til i moved to missouri

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

I try hard to differentiate between keeping the Sabbath day holy, and human customs placed too high on the pedestal in their efforts to keep the Sabbath day holy. It's not that 'shopping on Sunday is bad', it's that we try to be spiritual on Sunday, and mundane tasks like shopping can make it harder for us (and real hard for the people who have to work).

My two cents - becoming aware of, and meditating on, one's disposition to covetousness, is a fine spiritual way to spend time on the Sabbath.

Interesting tidbit: The community of folks who created/stored the Dead Sea Scrolls went so far to protect the Lord's day, that their custom was to not poop the entire day.

LM

[WillowTheWhisp]

I think I'd have been wondering why they didn't do their shopping on the Saturday.

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I think I'd have been wondering why they didn't do their shopping on the Saturday.

That is a question that never occured to me since I was asked if I would give them a ride after Church on Sunday. I was curious however about whether they planned to make curried shrimp, but that would have required me to eat even more ice cream.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Not quite so bad as friends of ours who once apologised for the lack of desert due to the fact that they had forgotten to thaw out the frozen prawns!

[Prodigal_Son]

Originally Posted by Loudmouth_Mormon

...It's not that 'shopping on Sunday is bad', it's that we try to be spiritual on Sunday, and mundane tasks like shopping can make it harder for us (and real hard for the people who have to work).

Regardless of the reasoning behind the command, the Brethren have been crystal clear on the matter and this is a no-brainer.