Confronting The Most Minimal Meal Possible
Ed, my old neighbor in Saskatchewan, smirked when he said, “I want a liquid diet if it’s whiskey.” I had told Ed I was on a liquid diet for a medical test.
His enthusiasm for a liquid diet disappeared when he learned it was water or clear liquids only. Ed was sure whiskey could be mixed with a bit of water to make it clearer. A diet of nothing but water or fruit juice seemed almost inhuman to him. “Why they used to give people in jail at least bread and water. It just shows how the world is getting worse instead of better,” Ed scoffed.
A worked-up Ed continued, “I never liked tests, even at school. If I got a good mark on the test, it didn’t mean there wouldn’t be another test down the road. There’s no point in taking a medical test, as they’re looking for something wrong with you. The wife has already told me every single thing wrong with me. Why would I want a doctor telling me about things he doesn’t like the look of inside my body? The wife has been trying to fix me for forty years, and she still isn’t satisfied. I don’t want one more person, even a doctor trying to make me better,†Ed ranted with absolute conviction.
One thing about a medical test is that the results are unpredictable. The test may detect something wrong, or it may not. A conclusive test result often takes time to be finalized. Waiting for test results can be stressful. For much of our lives, we get caught up in a ‘what-if-mind-set. We may get stuck on ‘what-will-I-do’ if the test shows such and such? We are focused on ourselves, our family, the doctor, and his suggested treatment. We ask, can it be cured, or is it terminal?
A medical test may help us know what we need to do to remain healthy. The Bible helps us understand that our lives are about sowing (doing) and reaping (waiting). We do what we can while trusting God with the results. If a doctor believes a treatment is necessary for us, we take medicine, have surgery, or do whatever he feels is essential. We hope doing as he instructs will mean a return of our health. Medicines and treatments do not always work, for only in heaven is there perfection.
We, as Christians, do what we can and leave the results to God as we wait and see. The Bible speaks of a Sower/farmer scattering his seeds in his field. The seeds were good, but that did not guarantee they would all grow. Some seeds fell on good soil and produced an excellent crop. However, some soil that was too hard, too rocky, too thin, too crowded with thorns, so growth and yield were poor.
For Christians, love is our doing or sowing. We are to love God with our hearts, souls, and minds. We also love our neighbor as ourselves. We do not necessarily see the results of our loving God and others. It’s God’s harvest time on the love we sow.
In love, God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. So, we sow love for others waiting for God to bless it.
