What Would You Do?
Recently I watched part of a television show called What Would You Do?
and it really affected me. The show is a reality series that puts
unsuspecting citizens into outrageous or compromising situations (that
are staged with actors) to see how they will react. The scene took place
in a grocery store.
Mom and child (both overweight actors) were cruising the aisle with a
buggy full of junk food, when they were verbally accosted by a overly
zealous natural health enthusiast who accused the mother of "child
abuse" for exposing her family to the buggy full of "poisons". He
berated and publicly humiliated her as he offered her some broccoli. All
the while, hidden cameras were recording the reaction of passersby to
see if they would intervene on behalf of the bewildered mom.
Most people minded their own business, but a few came to her defense
and confronted his inappropriate behavior. The scene was repeated over
and over with different actors of varying age, race and sex.
What haunted me was the fact that in reality, the buggy WAS full of
poison, and feeding a child in such a way DOES constitute child abuse
even though our society doesn't recognize it as such! Ignorance of the
truth does not protect us from the consequences of our poor choices.
Like the ancient Hebrew prophet Hosea said, "My people perish for lack
of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)
The producers of the show successfully used the inappropriate
bullying behavior of the "health nut" to cast the truth as an extreme
and inappropriate viewpoint... outside of accepted norms. It reminded me
of how busy the enemy of man has been all these years, twisting the
truth and trying to keep us all in darkness.
I must admit, on more than one occasion, I have taken the time to
quietly and politely inform a well meaning Mom of the potential
consequences of serving her family large doses of artificial sweeteners.
The response I have received on those occasions has always been
gratitude. It seems that given the informed opportunity, most Moms would
rather not poison their children.
A Young Pastor's Christmas Gift
By John William Smith
In
1962 I was preaching in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was single, and it was
Christmas time. I was headed home to Michigan to enjoy the holidays
with my family. It was an extremely cold day, and it was snowing.
The
wind was howling out of the North, blowing thick clouds of fine flakes
across the road - it looked like a blizzard. The roads were icy in
places, and there was little traffic. Somewhere near Ft. Wayne, Indiana,
I saw a soldier standing under an overpass. He had a green army cap
pulled as tight and low as possible over his head, his collar was pulled
up around his ears, his hands were shoved down in his pockets, and he
had a stuffed duffel bag standing beside him.
I was driving a
Chevrolet Corvette, and I was going very fast - faster than I should
have been, considering the road conditions. As I sped by, the soldier
jerked one hand out of his pocket and raised his thumb. My Corvette had
two seats - not a front and back seat, but two seats side by side - and I
was in one of them. The trunk was big enough to hold three loaves of
bread and a pound of lunch meat. Not only was my limited trunk space
stuffed full with the clothes and boots I would need for my stay in
Michigan, the front seat was stacked high as well, with the presents
that I had purchased for my folks and my nieces and nephews.
When
I saw the soldier, I was going much too fast to stop, and I was well
down the highway before I gave it much thought. I told myself that I
couldn't possibly get him and his duffel bag in the car - I debated
about the terrible inconvenience and delay it would cause if I did, and
by the time I decided that perhaps I ought to at least offer to help, I
was two miles down the road and out of sight. But my Christian
Conscience really went to work on me.
It was so cold, traffic
was almost nonexistent - he was a soldier - and it was Christmas. The
inner battle raged for another three miles.
Finally, I decided I
would never get any peace unless I offered to help, so I made a U-turn
and went back. I hoped with all my heart that someone else had picked
him up.
READ MORE
Start 2011 off Right With an Internal Cleanse!Are you feeling the effects of holiday overindulgence? Want to hit the ground running in 2011 (no pun intended)? Most natural health practitioners recommend doing two cleanses a year, and there is no better way to get a fresh start on your year than our gentle but deep cleansing Seven Day Cleanse program,
MagnifiCleanse.
In fact, you might want to consider our
Total Cleanse Combo Pack, which also includes a liver cleanse, parasite cleanse and support for healthy bowel function. Periodic cleanses help improve digestion and elimination and reduce systemic inflammation.
Most people report greater energy, clearer thinking, and a renewed sense of general well being after a good cleanse. What are you waiting for? Give your body every advantage possible for a fresh start in 2011.
