Confessions of a CostCo. Convert

I'm a follower of the masses. For fun, and deliberately of course. I just wanted to know why every 2nd anaesthetic nurse is telling me to visit the CostCo. at Auburn that opened last week. A friend from Bible Study group said the same thing. It's like Disneyland for adults, the Ikea equivalent for the family-minded.

It was hard just parking, evening on a Friday evening (I thought others would have better places to go than this. There was a lot of agitation, urgency and bated breaths as I joined the queue for membership. The helpers, ushers and membership crew, were all very ordinary people, but all had the common purpose of ushering the masses up a ramp to material heaven. They were genuinely happy, helpful, and probably satisfied with their hardwork and achievements for the common good.

I did not even blink, like I sometimes to when donating to charities in shopping centres, when I paid $AUD60 (valuable dollars) for a Gold-Membership. I wanted to see what people got upto inside that massive warehouse. I first saw families, with trolleys, boxes, squatting and crowding around the cheap eat outlets. (good idea from Ikea) Then I was pushed along the designated flow of new masses "in" to the warehouse.

It was pretty massive. The loft was even higher than a typical Ikea complex. I only had time to venture through electronics and confectionery sections. All I wanted to find were Almond Rocas and Reeses, one a childhood favourite and the latter a late acquired taste in my 24th year of life. My mother would use to lug these lollies 1000 of miles from her San Francisco trips. Well, even with the Traffic CostCo was within 20min from work. I know there's a CostCo in Melbourne too!

At the checkout, people with huge name tags, very friendly, ordinary and unintimidating, all cheerily ushering masses with massive trolleys through a speedy checkout system. 2 servers at each checkout made such a difference. I got weird looks for purchasing so few items (a couple fo bags of confectionery). The ladies behind me had 3 cartoons of instant noodles that I wished I had picked up. Ahhh, the neighbour-envy effect.

Bigger, Cheaper, More, Easier, Tastier - just Bigger. They've really picked the right time and place to titillate our appetites.

It was worth my $60 just to have a look. But in my nature I'm happy with less. I think

often it's more. Godliness with contentment is great gain, Paul said that to Timothy and I have to say this to myself and others. More is always less, in all spheres of living, and not just economics. The more we have the less satisfied we are - if it's the material we find our contentment in and not the Giver of the gifts or the Maker of the materials from Whom we seek our joy and satisfaction. At my best moments, I sweetly and satisfying savour the never failing water of life that comes through a living relationship with God through HIs Son Jesus. So satisfying is this good, that a little refreshes and a little more enrichs. And I don't tend to get bored of it ever. It obeys the Law of Increasing Returns. "To those who have, more will be given, but to those who do not have, even the little that they have will be taken away." Matthew 25.

Don't get me wrong, I need Almond Rocas and Reeses! But I have found something or someone, even more delicious and satisfying.

 

A volcanic ash cloud, a taxi-ride and the job interview

 

This is a true story about how, by God's grace, I arrived at a job interview in Melbourne, Wed 22 Jun 2011.

On 21 Jun, Tuesday evening, I found out 15 minutes before my department meeting that all flights into Melbourne were cancelled due to the ash cloud from a Chilean Volcano. By the time the meeting ended, I was too late in securing train, bus or coach tickets. But with much supernatural help, I got to central station after some wavering; I prayed that some kind soul would sell their ticket to me at a good price.

But because of my wavering, I was too slow to the train, and I also missed the last GreyHound bus that had left for the night. I didn't like the idea of just driving up myself: a 1000 lonely km in the dead of the night, at least with a companion, I had the chance of broken rest in preparation for my job interview. I had found out from a colleague earlier that the going rate for a cab-ride to Melbourne was $1200 (AUD). It was 10pm, I was semi-desperate and I had the next day off so I chose the cab option, over hiring a car and driving solo (I was unwilling to disturb friends at this last minute).

After a few rejections from 3 Subcontinental cab drivers, I was down to a Middle-eastern and an Asian (Indonesian) driver at the taxi-rank. I asked this Indonesian cab driver whether he would take me to Melbourne? He replied "how much", and I said "$1200". Without a pause he agreed and said "Hop in mate". And so the deal was struck. It turns out that his cab had just been tuned up, he had relatives in Melbourne that he had wanted to visit and had always wanted to visit.

The terms were I would take the wheel when he got tired, so after a long, rainy, cold journey - including 3 stops and 2 cans of coke - we got there. He drove 750km and I did about 200km into Melbourne. I was dead tired as it was very hard to sleep: the taxi made much turbulent and high-pitched noise throughout night at high speeds.

He even took me into his relative's place where I was served tea, used their shower, shaved and even got some reading done. They didn't serve lunch, but I had 2 more Cokes and LCM bars.

He was willing to stay the whole day for extra $350, since he had to pay his boss, who incurred losses from a day's worth of cab-rental. But when I got to the hospital, Melbourne flights were back on that afternoon. I paid him, a handsome total of $1550 (AUD) as promised and bade him Godspeed.

I then wandered into the anaesthetics library, looking a bit under-the-weather. I had a friendly yarn with someone there, with whom I had to share the tale of my awesome joyride. I showed him the docket, and he said I was crazy.

Soon, I found out that I was chatting to the director, who was on the interview panel. He shared the story with the Deputy on panel. They were somewhat impressed, but definitely bemused and humoured by this.

A couple of hours after the interview at 4:15pm, whilst I was at the airport, they offered the Fellowship Job in Cardiac Anaesthesia! Thank God!!! I definitely don't deserve it, but I will receive it with a smile.

I talked to my closest and dearest first, mentors, department head and others before I said yes. So Melbourne is the go for 2012 : D. There is a great cost in going, directly for others and so indirectly to me, but hopefully God will provide. A very sad thing will be leaving our present church, which is gospel-centred, loving and our home.

But I thought it was a $1550 well-spent. God even gave me a new friend! Although the next time round, I'd just hire a car, because it's near impossible to sleep in a noisy cab, or I would call-up some bored friends to come down with me.

Anyone for a Joyride?

p.s. It turns out my driver is also a Christian, and he repeatedly asked me to pray for his strength on the way there! He rang me to make sure I did get a job offer, commenting how much we had both sacrificed to get me there. I hope it has encouraged him in his faith.