Opus 2026-429: The Blessing of Rejection

I have experienced food poisoning a few times in my life.  The first indication for me is a lightheadedness and disorientation, which can get bad enough that I feel the potential of passing out.  Generally, my solution to that is to find a toilet, get on my knees beside it, and hope to throw up.  Once I vomit the conditions quickly depart.

I hope you’re not eating breakfast if you’re reading this.  It’s a common reaction though, at least for me.  Our body has ways of letting us know that something is not meant for us, that it has potentially poisonous attributes.  I’ve read that if you’re ever out in the forest and for some unimaginable reason, need to forage for food, that you should not just start eating things that you see.  It could also be poisonous.  I’ve heard that if you take some of the greenery and strap it to the inner side of your arm and leave it there for a while, that if it’s poisonous your skin will respond with a rash of some kind.

I find that in the spiritual sense my soul also reacts to things this way.  I find that when I read things that on the surface seem OK, there develops a reaction of either sort already discussed.  After I have gotten rid of the offending material, my soul begins to respond by thinking about things in the Bible and actually reading what the word says.  That quickly restores me to health.

I believe I related how years ago, right after I graduated from seminary, I had a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses come to the door.  Being cocky, arrogant, and full of myself, I thought I would show them my erudition.  When they left, I’m sure they had a smug look on their face because they had tied me up in knots.  I wasn’t sure what I believed.  My solution was to get out my Bible and start reading and things quickly settled into place as I came across scriptures which gave me the answers and the keys to understanding.

I just finished a short little booklet sent to me by a friend, which caused the same reaction.  It wasn’t quite as severe as the food poisoning or the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but there was an unsettled feeling after reading what he had said.  My solution was to get out my Bible to read, to meditate, to pray, and to listen to what God would say to me.  In a short time, my mind settled down, my smarty-pants switched over to a seat of wisdom, and I was back on track.

Be thankful when things force you to think and contemplate.

homo unius libri