CHEW ON THIS

My Cyber Pal, Sparky, reminded me yesterday that I have been chewing on a topic for a while.  The seeming necessity of chewing our cud.

Cattle,deer, camels, buffalo, goats, sheep and giraffes are ruminant animals.  They chew their food twice.  I will give you the short version of the lengthy explanation-they have four compartments in their stomach.  The first time around they quickly snatch and swallow with a little moistening to get it down.  The next step involves balls of food -mixed with digestive juices-cud- coming back up the pipe from compartment #1---regurgitated--to be chewed more thoroughly.  Cows spend 8 hours of the day re-chewing what they have already swallowed once.  The combination of the first snatch--chew--swallow and the re-chewing of same food makes for 40,000 jaw movements per day.  WOW--talking about chewing things over!



What I found most amazing is why they do this.  These animals are flight animals---they do not stick around for a fight when danger is present, but instead flea.  So scientist explain that the ruminants eat as much as possible as quickly as possible in case they need to run for the hills.  Then later on---they chew their cud--to aid in digestion. 

 Fascinating--I KNOW---but consider this-I am guilty of chewing on the same ball of spit mixed with stuff over and over.  Somethings are hard to swallow!  And I have a propensity to analyze and over-analyze to try and make sense of stuff that will never make sense.    And once I get it down---for some strange reason ---I feel the need to chew on it some more.  Over and over---I sit and chew and chew trying to make it more palatable to swallow.  The truth of the matter is--there are things that I need to throw down the hatch and close the sphincter and allow it to regurgitate no more.  



My mother always told me to chew my food thoroughly.  Good advice--chew it up and swallow it---end of story.  That same advice applies to all the stuff in life---stop regurgitating it---swallow it and move on!  
 As Elsa so well put it--



 Or else end up like the cow---standing around--looking not so smart---chewing your cud over and over.  



Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

6 comments

  1. Hey, now, quit picking on the cow (giggling)--whatda he ever do to you (more giggles). Great post, Lulu...and chew all you want. Blessings

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    1. Most cows are actually sweet creatures- not real smart though- consider the stampede!
      Blessings, Friend!

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  2. I always thought that cows and other ruminants were chewing bubble gum and I often waited ages for them to blow bubbles. But alas no. They just kept chewing 40,000 times a day. I'm sure they'd soon wear their teeth out and need dentures.

    I wonder what it would be like if we too had compartmentalised stomachs and chewed our food over and again. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy a nice pizza over and again? How wonderful that would be?

    Better still, what if we had two mouths so we can have a pizza and a beer at the same time. If that were so, I'd like my second mouth to be on top of my head. That way I would put a sandwich under my hat and enjoy it without anyone knowing. Or in places where it said "NO SMOKING" I would have a cigar under my hat with smoke coming out of my ear. I said ear ... not rear! (I think you are making up your own jokes, Lulu).

    God bless.

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  3. Chewing the cud is also my propensity, especially if something bad, or just perceived as bad, has happened. It's not healthy nor is it productive for me to do this. I don't know if it was the abuse that makes me want to relive the past or perhaps just my weak character. At any rate, I've had to work at trusting Him to take care of whatever and move on. Paraphrasing as our LORD tells us in Ephesians above, "let it go". That way there's no enmity between fellow travelers. It helps us to witness in a kindly way without the cud in our mouths.
    Wonderful post.
    BTW, my hip is improving but I sure miss going for a walk. Thank you for the prayers.
    Hope your day is blessed gal. ~:)

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  4. Glad to hear that , Sparky! Hope you can rest it until it is well !! We are all guilty of excessive chewing- over & over & asking again & again- Lord, Help Me!
    Blessings, Friend!

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Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!