Maybe, it's because our eyes are now accustomed to the tans and taupes of living in the desert, with an occasional splash of green and the color of aqua blue when by the sea side. Maybe, we thought that Doha could not possibly import such richness and beauty. Maybe, we just needed a reminder of how great God is and how much he truly loves us.
This was my very first thought.... How could God be so mindful of man??!! How could He provide so much for His children and yet we take all of this for granted and with such common acceptance. I reminded my boys that God gave us such wonderful colors, various plants , fruit and vegatables to enjoy and they are so good for us. Even if we don't like the taste of some we can at least appreciate the fact that so much is provided for us to chose from!
God is most assuredly good!!!
Do you see the cart in the picture below? We had a man following us around with one just like it and asking us what we might like (in Arabic, I think). I finally got him to understand, unfortunately, we only needed and wanted what our own hands could carry. Besides, because most of it is imported, it does not last as long , even if refrigerated. I didn't want to be wasteful and our fridges are so small. I knew we would be back soon...very soon.
Better price? Yes, everyone was happy to offer a better price.
So you might ask, what do the grocery stores stock? Most only offer a very limited selection, some of the bigger grocery chains offer more but not as much as we saw here and as inexpensive. Also, this wholesale area is literally across town for us, so it is not as convenient.
There is no electricity, so they use the old fashion scale and weights. We are weighing a big beautiful bunch of celery, which costs 15 QR., about $4.12. Expensive? I've paid almost $10.00 for celery before, trust me this is cheap! Especially when you shop for a specific item (like celery) and the whole country is out or maybe have had delays in shippment. You quickly realize that when there is celery and the price is good, get it while the getting is good, even if you don't need it.
Isn't it funny how your perspective changes when your circumstances change? I will never look at a U.S. grocery store the same. Sights like these will forever change the way I look at the simple abundance and blessings we enjoy everyday. A new sense of gratitude has been etched in my heart, and hopefully my children's heart as well.
We have been back several times.
Here is just one of the plant souqs. "Ethers' agricultural souq", one of the most popular ones. Plants are shipped in from Holland and some from within the surounding regions, while some are homegrown. I have enjoyed decorating our home here with some plants and flowers from this souq. Again prices are better than grocery stores but still expensive compared to U.S. standards.
To a very small extent, I can imagine that Joshua and Caleb must have been taken back the way we were, when they were spying out the land "flowing with milk and honey", the land of Cannan, that God promised would be theirs. Their heart and excitement must have been hard to contain, because they knew that this was a treasure indeed and if God said it would be theirs, then it would just be a matter of time.
As the songs says...."count your blessings, see what God hath done..."
"...enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; and His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100
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