Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLXXXIX

There's a fact of life that I've never really given much thought until just a few days ago. It's not important where I was when this realization hit me, but for the sake of this story, I'll tell you anyway. I was sitting alone at breakfast in the Holiday Inn of Springdale, Arkansas. As I was looking over my choices of food, with all the beautiful fruit, the selection of cereal, and the different kinds of bread and pastries, my mind went back to the meal I'd had the night before. Then, almost unintentionally, I went back one more meal to the previous day's lunch. Well, at that point, there was no reason to stop, so I began to recall all the different types of food that had sustained me all my life, and it dawned on me that there was one common denominator in all of it. Before I get into that, however, let me go ahead and relate some of the questions that then began to pop into my mind: "Can a person receive nutrition from a rock?" "What if I could grind up iron or copper into a powder and mix it with water? Would I be able to survive on that?" The answer is an obvious "No!"

Let's get back to that one common denominator of all the different types of food I've ever eaten. When I thought about it, suddenly some things started making a lot more sense to me, and I immediately grasped a better of understanding of what I've always been taught about both my physical and spiritual life. Here it is: The only thing that can give me life is: Life. I can't live without food, and the only food that can sustain me either is, or has been, alive. It doesn't matter if it's fish, carrots, cows, or wheat...whatever it is, at some point in its existence, it has experienced life.

Now let's take it one step further. In order for me to have life, another life has to be sacrificed. There's no other way. It's God's design. The only way you and I can experience life is when another form of life experiences death. I love to observe the beauties of nature, and some of the sights I love to see are pastures with cows grazing peacefully, cool clear streams with fish swimming lazily through the water, orchards with fruit hanging heavily upon each tree, or just a small vegetable garden filled with a variety of plants beautifully in bloom; yet all those wonders of nature must be devoured just so I can have life.

That leads me to ask just one more question: "Who am I that I would deserve to continue enjoying my life at the expense of so many others?" That's a question that is very difficult to answer, but I think the crux of the matter is I don't deserve it...I'm just blessed beyond measure. Therefore, I must commit myself to expressing thanks at every possible opportunity. "Lord, I thank you so much for Your awesome sacrifice on my behalf, of which I am so unworthy, and also for the way You continuously provide me with 'life' for my own consumption so that I may continue to live. May I be eternally grateful. Amen."

Preston