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The Sustenance of Life

I had the opportunity to go the largest biosphere in the world. Biosphere2, located outside of Tucson, Arizona. I had always heard of this place growing up, but wasn’t quite sure what it was. So, I paid my 20$ for the tour and went in with an open mind.
Water...this large and completely self-sustainable biosphere was set up to try and understand water: the underlying basis of all life. The questions that they set out to answer, “How does the water cycle influence us as humans and the environment? How can we monitor the output of water on the earth, how much is being used by plants and humans and then how much is returned back to the atmosphere?” And the most interesting one, “How can we use this information to understand how humans can sustain themselves in a drought.”
It was a lot of information, and it got me thinking. A little tidbit of information...when this biosphere was built, in the 80’s, the goal was to see if a human could live completely enclosed in a machine-sustained environment. In 1991, 8 people were shut up in this biosphere for 2 years, and learned a lot of information on the human life and water sustained life.
As I was taking this tour, I kept thinking about this very basic component of what keeps us alive: water. Water, H2O, a combination of one hydrogen molecule and two oxygen molecules bound together to give life. And how often we take for granted this very basic component of our lives. So many times, we are concerned with the bigger things in life, and forget to look at the small things. This week, I have scaled the highest mountain in Tucson, and then spent time focusing on the smallest element of life. Two very different components of nature. But also, since I have been on this trip, I have experienced an emotional range from extreme happiness to moments of morosity.
You see, we as people are comprised of many components, we have the grandiose thoughts of grandeur and the smallest inklings of timidity. It is what makes us beautiful, as beautiful as the mountains and water plants in the biosphere. God, in his majesty, has created the smallest to the biggest things, and yet in my beliefs there is the notion that He did it all for us. All for our pleasure.
That notion has made these last three days so incredible. Even though I felt so small on the mountain and so large learning about the basics of life sustaining water, I felt special and honored that God, in his infinite mercy would create this world for my pleasure. Wow…
And the only sad part about this is how often I forget that it is all for me. And why since I am comprised of 70% water and bound up in the basics of life. How clumsy my thoughts and emotions get if all I need to do to recalibrate myself is refocus my life on the wonders that are given me. Maybe that’s why I am here. Maybe that is why I have been led to the top of the mountains and the bottom of life’s base. I am to be reminded that I am loved, and the sustenance of life is for me. It is for me to use and to cultivate and to take care of...and I will do my best.

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