Journal 2005 09 21
“A fine morning,” Records William Clark. Great friend and fellow Captain Meriwether Lewis does not make the same observation. “…being determined to make a forced march tomorrow in order to reach if possible the open country. We killed a few Pheasants, and I killed a prairie wolf (coyote) which together with the balance of our horse beef and some crawfish which we obtained from the creek enabled us to make one more hearty meal, not knowing where the next was to be found…I find myself growing weak for the want of food and most of the men complain of a similar deficiency and have fallen off very much.”
Malnutrition and emaciation, a kinder name for starvation, is taking its toll on the party and Lewis sets his mind to reach the next marker, the plain, in hope of better food and all around conditions. Clark is busy with meeting and greeting but his concern for all his men is seen by his strong desire to send provisions for their care. He sets all hunters out in the morning. They return empty handed. Clark trades for food and dispatches Reubin Fields to Captain Lewis. He carries a load of dried salmon, berries, and bread.
Clark now has a different problem, one which most of the men will soon be plagued with. His last sentence in today’s record is, “I am verry Sick today and puke which much relive me.” Whether he ate too much or the diet is so different no one really knows. Some scientists have speculated that the camas roots may have contained a bacteria that attacked the men. Whatever the matter, Clark and most of the other men will experience sickness after filling themselves full so soon upon the heels of starvation.
Life is graphic sometimes and I can’t say what I’m thinking without talking about puking. But the simplest question to myself and anyone reading this is, “Have you ever got what you wanted and taken so much of it you puked it right back up?” I have. Halloween candy as a kid. It sure tasted good going down! Too much alcohol way too fast as a foolish young man. Too much money way too easy at any age. I could go on. We get what we think we want. Eat to our hearts content and then throw it all back up because we are not able to properly process it. The end result of overindulgence is we taste the goodness but lose the benefits of the object we have so long desired.
Hungry? We desire food. Lonely? Friendship. Broke? Money. Sick? Health. The list could go on to include all our human needs. Physical, emotional and spiritual.
Human nature handles lack better than riches. Starvation is not our end, nor is overindulgent abundance. God promises to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory. His is the standard we need to apply. Left to our own we overindulge. Left to nature or our enemies we may starve. Life is in God’s hand. He has promised to meet all our needs if we seek Him and His Kingdom before we seek or desire anything else. He measures out divine proportions for the perfecting our bodies and souls. Let’s follow Him and trust His ways to perfect contentment and fulfillment whether in plenty or in lack.
