SCRIPTURE: Exodus 16:35 And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (KJV) REFLECTION: Our bodies are delicately made, precisely balanced. When one part develops a problem, there is a domino effect on other parts. God knows just what our bodies need. He provided it to the Israelites on their desert journey. Manna and quail. Daily. When I eat the same thing repeatedly, with no breaks, it gets tiring. I eventually crave a change. Give me something else, please! Members of the animal kingdom also have delicately designed and balanced bodies. Gizmo was a beautiful orange cat whom the vet diagnosed with ongoing kidney and liver failure, and prescribed a special diet to keep him functioning. Of course, Gizmo is like us. He tired of the same meals all the time. But if we renigged and gave him other food to provide a change in died, he acted snooty. So we ignored his pleas. My neighbor Pet (aptly nicknamed that because of her love for little critters) felt sympathy for the cat. She snuck him between-meal treats and constantly argued with me about his diet being boring. She felt he would fare better with the changes and additions he wanted. However, every time she caved in to him he showed the symptoms of degeneration. On the rigid diet, he did well. He was on this diet until he left for animal promised land. Boring, yes. Life-enhancing, probably not, if you ask Gizmo. But life-saving, yes. His diet is his manna and quail---it will keep him alive. What special diet do you need to keep your physical body functioning well? Is it boring? If so, do you cheat? If so, what are the consequences? PRAYER: Lord, help me to appreciate the food you provide for me, even the food I must ingest for dietary or health reasons, even if it is boring. Keep me aware of those who have no food to fill their hungry bellies so I know how blessed I am. Amen. ---written by Carolyn | 
