While Page and all the kids are in North Carolina, I decided to try and be a little better about what I eat. Until such time as a magic let’s-get-svelte pill hits the market, I guess I have to assume some responsibility for what I do (and do not) ingest.

As you may know, food and I are on very friendly terms. Aside from liver and pickled beets, I’m not sure I’ve ever met a food I couldn’t be friends with. So, when I set out recently to eat more intelligently, it was not easy determining which food groups
to ignore. I’ve had such a warm, long-standing relationship with carbs and sweets that it seemed almost unthinkable simply to
abandon them. So, I hit upon another idea. What if I eat all the things I’ve always loved ... BUT I only do it once a day? Just trim my number of meals from three to one, and (theoretically, at least) I should be taking in only 1/3 of the calories. It’s a brilliant plan! I can still have pizza or hamburgers or fries, anything, just less frequently. Why had I not thought of that years before!?

I was seated in a restaurant on Fathers’ Day at 3:00 p.m., having my one meal for the day. Beside me was a family of four. The mom probably weighs all of 100 pounds. She was slurping down linguine like no more would be made till the next
millennium. She was eating like a Coney Island hot dog champ on July 4! She also had wine (i.e., liquid calories). While not being emaciated, the lady was certainly “trim.”  Mid-way through her tiramisu, I heard her ask her hubby and kids, “What do you want me to cook tonight? I’m in the mood for steak!”  She probably covers it with chocolate sauce. I have no idea what the woman’s metabolism is like, but as I said, sometimes things just don’t seem fair. I’ve cut back and gained four pounds.

Well, to be honest, sometimes life is not necessarily “fair.”  Life simply “is.” Suffering is. Heartache is. Disappointment is. Betrayal is. Some folks with modest talents succeed wildly. Others, far more gifted, manage just barely to get by. It’s not fair. It’s just the way it is.

How does our Faith respond to that? I think Faith reminds us of a handful of things:

First, material or public success is not the ultimate measure of a life well-lived. There will always be someone of lesser talent nearby who seems to get all the breaks. But, in the final tally, what really matters is impact. Did you have a positive impact upon the world, upon other people, upon life? That means infinitely more than how much you have in the bank or how often your photo is in the news. Remember the words of Mother Theresa: “We are not called to be successful, but to be faithful.”

Second, our Faith reminds us that we have a very limited vision or understanding, and thus we cannot endow momentary experiences with ultimate outcomes. As Paul said in I Corinthians 13, "Now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall ... understand fully." Just because something appears unfair (or even unfortunate) in the present moment does not mean that it actually is.

There was an article in The New York Times not long ago about a man who lost his job during the ongoing national financial crisis. He became despondent and afraid. One of his sons said, “Dad, this could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe now you are free to follow your dreams.” The man, no longer confined by what he had to do, began instead pursuing what he had always wanted to do. In the article, he said, “I lost my job, which enabled me to find my career.” Sometimes temporary setbacks open doors to long-term victories.

Third, God does not abandon us in the tough times. How did Jesus put it? “Fear not, for I have overcome the world.” To me, that basically means that He is bigger than anything the world might throw at us. One of my staff members reminded me this week of a passage from The Shack where Mack, the main character, is lying on a dock with Jesus. As they are looking at the stars, Mack says, "I feel so lost." Jesus takes his hand and says, "I know, but I am with you and I am not lost, so you are not lost." Jesus is with us, and He is bigger than anything the world throws our way. And so when we feel lost or frightened or overwhelmed or unfairly treated, He takes our hand and assures us that we do not face those feelings alone.

Those are, at least, a few key things our Faith says when we become disheartened.

Okay, I have to get back to work. It’s 4:00pm. I ate lunch two hours ago. It’s a long time till bed, and I’m already hungry. Somewhere that thin woman is probably halfway through a mid-afternoon snack of sausage pizza, chasing it with an egg cream.