Living Rarefied

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.

Did you know that if a sheep does not lie down. It will die? It will eat and eat and eat until it dies…

The sheep need to lie down to digest the food. They cannot digest the food while standing up. Maybe that's why I love taking a snoozer on the couch after a good meal.

But I have been on a quest lately, meeting some great people with amazing thoughts.. I have been trying to be a sponge, soaking up all I can. But this passage contradicts what I am doing. If I do not lie down and process things/thoughts that enter my world, I will die… As soon as I learn something new, old stuff I haven't processed/digested gets thrown out and it is like I never even heard it in the first place. Also if I do not digest it, to find the real meaning or truth behind it, I may struggle with a new thought and it will confuse me.

When Peter was on the boat after Jesus' death fishing. Jesus came to him and yelled from the shore. Upon noticing who it was Peter approached Jesus and the following conversation between the 2 occurred. (John 21)

15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

18Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Now, if we are His sheep, and Psalm 23 says "He makes me lie down" and sheep will die if they don't lie down to digest… That is something to think about.

Information is great, conversations are great, books are great, sermons are great… But if you don't digest them, what is the point?

Thomas Jefferson had it right, I think I get it backwards sometimes.

We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these, are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Sometimes the end for me goes "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Knowledge".

Ethan testing