Tiffany and I ate dinner last night at a Cajun restaurant. Yum.
I noticed a middle-aged couple near our table completely enjoying their meal. Heaping plates with blackened shrimp and fish, okra, and peppered french fries. All things Cajun. Bite after blissful bite, no time for talk, just eat and enjoy. Hors d'oeuvres, main course, desert, the works.
After they finished they sat in quiet reverie for a few minutes contemplating the enjoyment they just had, expressions of satisfaction on their faces.
As they got up to leave their expressions changed to discomfort and pain. They both slowly hauled themselves up out of their chairs, one with a cane, the other using the table and chair for support. They were both about 100 pounds overweight.
Then it struck me that for the 15 minutes of enjoyment just concluded they would now suffer the effects of that pleasure 24x7, around the clock, in everything they did. Even sleeping would not give repreive since their sleep would be inhibited. Even while eating they still had to deal with feeling terrible physically.
Imagine if they swapped the amount of time feeling good and feeling bad -- they would spend 15 minutes of pain for feeling good at all times. Wouldn't it be worth it? Ironically when we eat in moderation and eat healthy food a natural pleasure is felt so there wouldn't even be the 15 minutes of pain.
As Alma says, "see that ye bridle all your passions." Following that advice will go a long way to living a truly pleasurable life, one where we can feel good all the time rather than just for a few moments here and there.
- Alma 38:12
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1 comment:
I liked reading these posts! Very thought provoking to the everyday application of these scriptures. I think this is an AWESOME thing for seminary students. Really and truly.
And I can just picture the couple you saw...I think it is unfortunately all too common.
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