Somewhere along the line, pleasure got a bad rap. Actually, there is no mystery about when the confusion started. It began when Adam and Eve decided they would rather be God than to know Him. God created us as sensual beings with the ability to see, hear, feel, taste and smell so that we could interact with, take care of and, yes, enjoy His creation. It is when we value these gifts more than the Giver that things begin to get out of balance and turn ugly.
With that said, I love ice cream. When I love it too much, though, my intolerance for lactose kicks in. I love pizza, too, and chocolate and hamburgers and hot dogs—all the major food groups. When I indulge too often, it shows and not in a good way.
The past few months of the COVID-19 lockdown have revealed what we value and enjoy most. All favorite foods, hobbies and interests aside, I believe what we have missed most during this time is human contact. Kept from handshakes and hugs, ballgames and graduations and a myriad of other activities, the realization dawns that it is not the activity itself but the sharing of it with others that is most satisfying.
While times of solitude are good and necessary for the soul, so too are the times of being with family and friends to just enjoy the simple things of life. Hopefully, now we realize that more than ever.
Click here to read more stories by David Roten.
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