I'll Pass on the Poison, Thank You

Since becoming a mother, I've been introduced to a brand-new universe of fears:  recalls of products, pesticides in foods, vaccines, toxic chemicals, additives, heavy metals, hormones in foods, meat glue, and the list goes on and on.  Every week I share a new concern about a food or product with Jeff.  He typically doesn't take information about these food items too seriously and usually comments that this does not affect his daily life.

I believe God has given us all foods to enjoy and man has tainted many of them in our quest to produce more foods faster and at a lower cost.    Upon this cursory research I'm beginning to wonder if Jesus might be referring to the foods we consume in everyday life when he mentions if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them. Mark 16:18  (And no, I'm not being entirely serious.)

I think most women are prone to worry. If I allowed these fears of potential harm to take control I would only grow my own food and live a cloistered life from now till my death.  I don't believe that's exactly what God intended for my family.  How can the world learn about our Savior if all Christians went and hid in secluded locations? Christ desires for us to mature spiritually as we fellowship with the believers at our local church body.  That's impossible if we're cut off from civilization.  This would also prevent us from practicing the "pure religion" of caring for the orphans and widows as mentioned in James.  This verse also adds that we are to remain unspotted from the the world.  Our goal should be to become/remain irreproachable in this world as opposed to shielding ourselves from all environmental ills. Facing these tangible fears in a calm and faith-filled manner can be a testimony to those around us.

So until I'm in heaven sampling fruit off the tree of life I'll pray and ask God to bless the poison right out of all the food I eat.