Recently, while looking at prices for grocery delivery, as recommended by my ever-vigilant daughter, I noticed a category in one service called “essential groceries.” I wondered what I would put in a list of essential groceries for our now small family. Would the list be different than a list when we had children at home? Would it differ from other older couples near us? Would it match my adult children and grandchildren?
How would my list compare with what my ancestors (immediate and long ago) would have thought to be necessary? Could I live on rice and beans alone, or would other items be “necessary” or “essential?” How would l create a sensible list in the midst of thousands of choices of fresh and preserved products? Food preppers warn against lists so restrictive that no one will eat them no matter what the situation demands.
Beyond just food, what else is “essential” for human life? Are all the needs physiological or are there emotional, intellectual, and even spiritual needs for life? It appears that there are ordinary people who do not think that God is necessary or essential for their lives. This seems strange to me because it seems very important to have a meaningful relationship with God. I can’t imagine facing life without the sense of God’s compassionate care being part of my life. I do know that not everyone feels as I do. I am not inclined to ridicule them or even doubt the validity of their feelings. For me, however, too much would be missing without God in my life.
So for me, a meaningful relationship with God would be a first category in my list of what is essential for life. After that, the other parts of the list might be more flexible. How about you?