Life is Like a Trip to IKEA

March 13, 2024

Have you ever experienced IKEA? I mean, fully experienced IKEA, not just shopping online or just strolling through the store. If you have, then maybe you can relate. If you haven’t, then this story probably won’t resonate with you at all, but you might get a good laugh from it.

For those that have never been then let me set the stage for you. IKEA is a cross between Target (pronounced Tar-Jay with a French accent- the upscale version of Target…ha!) and CostCo with a European/Swedish flair. Everything has a strange name that you can’t pronounce, most things come in a box that you find in the warehouse and most everything requires assembly.

For those that have been to IKEA, I am speaking to you. When you decide to go to IKEA, it’s usually because you need some new home or office accessories to spruce up your space. It’s usually not because you are bored and just want to get out of the house. It’s not like going to Lowe’s.

IKEA is like a destination in a bigger city. Kinda like Buc-ee’s for furniture and accessories. Not sure why everyone goes, but they do, and so do you and me. IKEA is kind of prestigious as they only build in selected large metro areas. Even Nashville, with all its glitz, doesn’t have one. Don’t worry Alabama, we will never have one and will always have to drive to Atlanta.

Here’s how IKEA works.

First, you find some really cool items online to purchase but quickly realize that IKEA only ships certain items from their online platform. Alas, a road trip is required. Unlike other stores, you can’t just run into IKEA and grab a lamp and run out, it doesn’t work that way. That is because of a very successful and strategic store flow design. It’s like a mouse trap.

Prior to arriving at IKEA, I recommend you have a cocktail or two, maybe even a Xanax. You will thank me later. No alcohol is served in IKEA, so please be prepared. They really should have a bar mid way.

Once you arrive at the IKEA-land parking lot, it’s important to remember what section you are parked in, otherwise you’ll never find your vehicle. Once inside, and orient yourself, you’ll stroll through the “showroom”, to find the items you wish to purchase, but notice you can’t just grab and go. Oh no, you must first jot down the item # on your pad or phone and keep shopping.

Before long, you’ll find yourself in the “Marketplace” and suddenly you’ll end up needing just about everything you see. It’s like going to the grocery store hungry. You’ll need at least a minimum of 2-3 shopping carts just to haul all your crap. And remember, you haven’t even made it to the “self-serve furniture store” yet. By the time you get to the furniture store to find the items you jotted down earlier, you have 4 full shopping carts and now need a flat-bed cart to haul out your furniture.

Important Travel Tip: take your husband, boyfriend, or find one while there. You can thank me later.

After you find your furniture on aisle 51, section 27, bottom shelf, all nicely packaged in brown boxes, you’ll load your merchandise onto your flatbed cart. Then you’ll head to the check-out lane, which looks more like the car line entrance to Disney World.

IKEA isn’t known for excellence in customer service. Just keep in mind, you are paying yourself to take their merchandise out of their store for yourself and assemble it. Let that sink in a little. It’s more like TSA on a really busy day at the airport. And you had better have all the barcodes facing forward or outward for ease of scanning, or you will get called out.

Then you are off to go locate your vehicle. Do you remember where you parked? Was It in section C for Cotton Candy or D for Dolly? Oh, sorry that’s the wrong parking lot. Back at IKEA, now that you’ve located your vehicle, you pull up to the merchandise loading zone, load your stuff and head home.

Mission accomplished?  Well, not exactly, because there is some assembly to be performed. MUCH assembly is required!.

One of the ironic things about IKEA is that it doesn’t provide written assembly instructions. Instead, they have pictures drawn by 2-year-olds from Sweden explaining how to assemble it. You’ll have to experience the “IKEA man” on the instructions to fully appreciate this concept.

Another important concept of IKEA is that it’s not uncommon to finish the assembly and have several hex screws, pegs, etc., left over. It will make you second guess and third guess your professional assembly skills.  All through the assembly when you are ready to cuss, cuss, and cuss some more (even if you don’t cuss at all) just remember you got some really cool merchandise, if you can just properly get the s%&t together.

Side note, to properly enjoy IKEA, I highly, highly recommend you leave your wallet in your vehicle and have a drink (or two) prior to shopping in IKEA. If you don’t drink, then have a few sodas and get a good sugar buzz, it works about the same.

 If you end up buying some stuff, I’d also recommend you have a furniture assembly party with a few friends, some snacks, and drinks.  I promise, you will enjoy the assembly experience much better this way. Once assembled, it usually looks pretty cool.

Here’s my top 4 reasons for an IKEA road trip.

1. There’s a sense of accomplishment after a successful IKEA run. It’s like you have won the lottery or just ran a 10K marathon and finished strong. Yes, you might still need that drink but that’s ok.

2. Once fully and properly assembled and staged, the merchandise looks cool. But getting from the brown box to your showroom living room floor is the journey indeed.

3. You will pay yourself to assemble your own merchandise the first time.  Keep in mind that you paid “them” to take their merchandise out of their store and assemble it.

4. You'll swear you’ll never do that again, at least not for a few months.

5. You'll discover that this trip requires a cocktail or two.

So How Does IKEA Resemble Life?

It’s An Adventure

The first thing that comes to mind is that it’s an adventure. Life is the great adventure. You never know what you will encounter around the next turn in life (or in the store). You may walk into a beautiful kitchen or a beautiful moment in life or maybe not.

How long has it been since you’ve had a beautiful moment? Maybe you should look for it, it might be right in front of you today.

Wander Through the Store

Second, you Wander through the Store looking at the merchandise as you encounter it. You can’t just run down aisle 6 for some light bulbs. It’s similar to how we tend to wander through life at times. Yes, we have a plan for our life, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Just like different sections or aisles in a store require navigation, so does life.

Do you feel like you are wandering through life at times? Take it Step by step, day by day, mile by mile… Look for someone who just might need you to “wander” with them…

Everything looks Good in the Store

That’s right, everything looks good in the store, but does it mean it’s going to look good in your space. This requires “life” to accomplish that. Not everything looks the same in your space. What you thought looked great over there, doesn’t fit over here. What you thought you really needed turned out to be something you didn’t have room for. Preach!

Everything Comes in a Brown Box

Ok, so not everything in life comes in a box, I know that.  But in IKEA it pretty much does. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything in life could just be picked out and in a box for you to take home. Think about that concept for a moment. Everything you need for life just shows up in a brown box. From husbands to wives, to furniture, a charcuterie board, a new career, a fresh start and on and on.  It all just comes in a brown box.

Have you ever ordered something in life, you know something you had prayed for or worked for and when it finally arrived, it wasn’t quite what you wanted or thought it would be?

ASSEMBLY REQUIRED (with NO Written Instructions)

I don’t think there is a better correlation between IKEA and Life than the phrase, “ASSEMBLY REQUIRED (with no written instructions)”. Wow, that hits. Life doesn’t have written instructions. I’m sure if you are reading this, you know that by now. No one wakes up each day with written instructions on life for that day.

Yes, we all have plans, schedules, etc. But we do not have the specific written instructions for the day, nor do we know what will happen that day, what we will encounter that day, etc., only God has those plans. Yes, He’s given us His word as our guide.

In closing, let me encourage you today to GO SHOPPING.

Maybe you need a road trip to IKEA in your life, pick out some new merchandise, load it up, haul those brown boxes home and enjoy every blessed moment of the assembly.

So, remember motive someone in a positive way today, help them load their brown boxes, join in the assembly party and WATCH WHAT GOD DOES. The finished product is always complete.

I'm Jason Thrasher and this is BestLife50.blog