When I go to the grocery store, I rarely buy more than I can carry on a scooter. While this is a lot more than you will normally imagine, there are limits. The measure is by the number of regular sized plastic bags, not shopping carts. As overwhelmed as the scooter has been at times, there are boundaries with edges.
The consequence of not being able to take more on naturally follows. Within a few days the fridge looks bare and meal options are limited. With time I have come to access that there is a natural life span that follows shopping for food. It is a variation on the life span of the printer, laundry supplies, and fuel in the bikes. While the drivers for the length of time vary, there is no doubt that eventually things need to be replenished.
I cannot imagine anything lasting forever. Everything needs to be replenished, nurtured, and supplied. In the compelling reality of this, it is easy to forget that there can be full, overflowing supplies of any item but it is meaningless to me if it is not within my reach! Life spans are about two, not one. Putting the responsibility of lasting forever on the gadget, consumable item, or even the relationship is a choice, but the choice does not lead us to do our part.
I would like to suggest that community, compassion, and caring are priceless ideas that cannot fade or be diminished. The psalmist left us with a Divine observation that is still accurate; “Your throne ever firm – you’re Eternal!” (Psalm 93.2) Yet in both the harsh reality is that ideas, principles, and even Divinity are as good as gone, their life spans expired, if we fail to bring them into our lives!
Life spans are determined by two. On one side, it works. It is viable, functioning, and when used, delivers an outcome. On the other side, it is tangibly embraced. One picks it up at the store, invites it into one’s life, and then lives in and with it.
