“Adam and Eve ate the first vitamins, including the package.” ~E.R. Squibb
Imagine what it must have been like to eat the fruit and vegetables that grew in the Garden of Eden. There were no bugs, no worms, and no pesticides, just perfect produce. Eating healthy was not a struggle, it was the norm.
Unfortunately, in the 21st century we do not have access to that quality of produce. So eating healthy is a conscious choice, something that we have to work at. Since healthy eating is one of my goals, I make it a point to buy organic fruits and vegetables that are grown locally. My family enjoys broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens and their favorite vegetable is green beans (also known as snap beans, haricots verts, string beans).
String beans provide a number of health benefits including impressive antioxidant capacity. In addition to being healthy, they are tasty and quite easy to cook. I simply get a large pot, a little oil, and some smoked meat, an onion – well, before I give away my “secret” recipe, suffice it to say, I can whip up a tasty pot of beans. However, one of the things that I like least about string beans is the strings. So before cooking I wash them, trim the ends and remove the strings that run lengthwise down the seam of the pod. It can be a time-consuming process, but it is the only way to ensure that there are no strings. Although some varieties are bred to be stringless, the ones that I run across tend to have strings. And I have found that the older or larger the beans, the more likely they are to have strings. Old string beans have big strings.
If you will humor me, I would like to draw a parallel between string beans and human beings. As a student of human nature, I have noticed that people can have strings too. And the older they are, the more likely they are to have lots of strings (issues) like bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, jealousy, anger. The list can get quite long. If they allow these “strings” to take over their lives, they become quite “unpalatable” to the rest of us. Admittedly, life can be difficult and often deals us blows that leave our heads spinning and hearts broken. I’ve endured a few life-shattering experiences myself. I do not understand why bad things happen to good people, or why certain injustices exist in our world. But I also know that I cannot afford to allow the strings to attach themselves to me and choke the joy out of my life. So just like I go though the time-consuming process of removing strings before I cook string beans, I make a daily effort to remove the strings that can so easily attach themselves to my heart and mind. It is a daily task, but it is well worth the effort. It involves, reading God’s word, meditating on His truth, prayer and maintaining a positive outlook. There are also times when I have needed to reach out to others for help. My husband, friends, pastors, and counselors have been all been instrumental in helping me “remove the strings” from my life.
So I encourage you to take a look at the strings in your life and don’t be afraid to do a little trimming. You will live a lot freer with no strings attached.
