Random Thought

I was thinking of something recently that illustrates just how incredibly blessed we are. It's a simple question: do you consider calories to be a nutrient or a nuisance?

I'd be willing to bet that almost everyone who's reading this has thought of calories as a nuisance. They're something you have to count, so that you don't eat too much and get fat. They're something you intentionally limit so you can lose weight. They're listed on the nutritional information almost as a warning.

And we take for granted what an amazing blessing it is that we even have to consider such things. So much of the world would do anything to have such problems! For so much of human history, and much of the world even today, the biggest food-related problem has been finding enough. How can I consume enough calories to live? See, calories are a nutrient - in fact, they're the single most important one. Without enough of certain vitamins or minerals or other compounds, certain bodily processes won't work at full efficiency, and may eventually develop more severe problems. Without enough calories, you die.

God's blessing on us has truly been incredible. So many people have lived not knowing where their next meal will come from, whether their bodies will have enough energy to make it through another day without shutting down internal organs. We have so much food, obesity-related diseases are much more common than malnutrition. We despise foods that have too much fat - so highly prized elsewhere because of its high caloric content, we pass laws to limit it. Even in the midst of a tough economic time, it'll be a long time before most of us ever consider the possibility of starving to death.

Keep that in mind when bad economic news hits. Yes, things have gotten bad, much worse than we're used to. But still, simply by being well-fed, we're much better off than most people who have ever lived. As bad as we may think it is, we really need to thank God for his abundant provision, and pray that we don't abuse it or take Him for granted.