time

Olivia steadied herself on the counter. Why was the world spinning? She shook her head, trying to shake away the blurriness and focus again on the task before her.

It was no use. She couldn’t keep standing. Wearily, she sank into a chair, burying her head in her hands.

She just didn’t get it. A few days ago she had so much energy and felt like she could conquer the world. Now, she felt like a complete failure and could hardly keep standing. What was wrong with her?

Olivia’s sister Sophia came to her side, giving her a gentle side hug. “Oh, Sophi, what’s wrong with me?” Olivia cried, burying her head on her sister’s shoulder.

Sophia listened patiently as Olivia recounted the week’s adventures. “I just feel so tired out,” Olivia explained. “I want to complete the tasks before me well, but I don’t have any energy to do it. I can’t think straight at all.”

“When was the last time you ate?” Sophia’s gentle question was the last one Olivia expected, but one she needed to hear. When was the last time she ate? Come to think of it, her last real meal was several days ago now. Her only other food had been small, rushed snacks here and there, along with some junk food.

“I’ve had so much to do, I’ve not really had a good meal in days,” Olivia confessed.

Sophia nodded. “That’s what I thought. My dear sister, there’s no way you can complete what you need to do unless you nourish yourself! And I don’t mean just a quick snack here and there. You need a real meal. Your body simply wasn’t made to run without good food.”

Olivia was surprised that, after a good meal, she could suddenly think clearly again and walk without the world spinning. How different life looked when properly fed! No matter how busy life got, she needed to make time to eat.

“ But he [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (KJV)