Recently my family and I attended the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York. After spending ten hours at the Fair I came away with some observations….we enjoyed the exhibits, the children loved seeing the many animals, the horse show was outstanding, and of course there were many vendors trying to sell their product hoping to convince you it was the best.

However, I also noticed some things that disturbed me very much. I saw many people out of shape, weak and feeble looking sickly. Some could hardly get around while others were driving their rental “cars” because it would be too difficult to walk. My feelings became emotional at times as I observed people in their limited state.

There was also another important observation that I made was the focus on what we were going to eat. It was hard to make a decision because of the many choices and varied smells. We walked extensively looking and really seeking for that item that would really satisfy our taste buds. It’s amazing how much we go out of our way to feed ourselves. And then there was dessert! There were more choices than you could shake a stick at. Ice cream, cookies, fried dough, waffles dripping in syrup, candy apples and I can’t forget the huge tent of bulk candy.

Let’s look at this for a moment, and let me tell you what I ate. I had a steak sandwich with lettuce, tomato, peppers and onions, a piece of pizza, a candy caramel apple with sprinkles, a coffee and of course an apple fritter, a good amount of water, a pretzel and a couple of licks of my wife’s ice cream. So, was I satisfied with all this after it was all said and done?  Well, the steak was a little too rare in spots. The apple was soggy and I had to ditch most of it. The apple fritter was okay but it wasn’t where I normally purchase from, and the same went with the coffee. The pretzel was overcooked in some areas and undercooked and doughy in others. The ice cream was delicious and creamy.

So what did I conclude from this day of walking many miles, eating some food I searched for, listening to vendors making their “pitch,” and watching a sea of humanity pass by…?
One would think with the food I ate I would never purchase those items again. But my wife indicated to me that the reason the fair is only once a year is so our memory can fade and next year we will do the same thing over again! Putting this all in perspective many people are sick and feeble because they are not exercising and not eating the right foods. They are going to die prematurely unless something changes in their life.

In a spiritual sense this makes me think of the life beyond. Do we consider the next world and how to get there? I see when God created Adam in the Garden of Eden one of the first things He mentioned was to eat. Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God is in favor of eating but He wants us to eat the right foods. We all need to reevaluate our physical diet and how it relates to our health. Eating correctly will fuel our bodies better and will create longevity on this side of the river. Eating the correct spiritual food …God’s Word ….The Bible …will fuel our spiritual man and help us to get to the other side of the river which is eternity.

That brings me to my point. I thoroughly enjoyed being with some of my family…my son and daughter-in-law…my three grandchildren and of course my beautiful wife. I call this family “fellowship” and we do enjoy each other and function well together. How pleased and satisfied I was to be with my family and see the delight that going to a fair together could bring. Seeing my older grand-daughter share one of her purchases with me…watching the little girl sip her smoothie…and the little boy falling asleep on my shoulder as we watched the horse show were all priceless. To see my son and his wife together and me by the side of my wife made me think it doesn’t get any better than this. But then I got checked in my thinking because it does get better! If we follow Jesus we can all be together for eternity. Now that is a huge thought and concept. How can this be? Jesus provided the way by his death and resurrection. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Remember we all think about food a great deal. Too many instances we eat the wrong food that actually hinders our body like those greasy fries or those sugar-laden pastries. But there is a table spread by God where He invites us to partake. His food is love and it nourishes our heart and changes our attitude so we can spend eternity with Him. Hey, let’s meet at the river and cross over for family fellowship and food forever. The Bible begins with the mention of food and ends with an invitation to eat. Let’s eat of that table and cross that river so we can be together at that great fair in the sky that won’t come once a year but will be daily for eternity. Revelation 2:7 says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Blessings, Pastor Colombo