Space Foods Sticks and Tang

I was almost 11 years old on July 16, 1969 when Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.  landed on the moon. One of the excitements that surrounded that time was all of the items that you could purchase to be a part of the landing.

The hot items that all of us kids really wanted were “Space Food Sticks” and “Tang”. We knew that just like the astronauts, we also needed to eat the right things in order to have the proper nourishment for the strength to complete our mission.

Space Food Sticks were an energy snack in rod form containing nutritionally balanced amounts of carbohydrate, fat and protein wrapped in special foil to give them an added space-age appearance. The sticks came in several flavors including my own personal favorite, ‘peanut butter’. We, too, ate them several times a day so that we, too, would have the strength to complete the mission.

Tang (when I was a kid) was an artificial orange flavored powdered “breakfast” drink that was originally formulated by General Foods Corporation. Tang does not contain any fat or any protein and has several essential vitamins and minerals. We, too, drank Tang several times a day so that we, too, would have the strength to complete the mission.

Another item that I can still vividly remember my parents buying me was an “Apollo Snoopy” toy so that I too could be a part of the mission on the moon even though I was approximately 238,857 miles away. I would go through the drills with Snoopy to assure that he was in perfect condition and would have the strength to complete the mission.

When the astronauts came back to earth, NASA concluded that all mission tasks were completed satisfactorily. I, too, felt as though we had help complete the mission. I, too, shared in the glory of that moment in the history of mankind.

For some reason recently I recalled those glory days of eating space food sticks while playing with my Apollo Snoopy. I have since that time in 1969 replaced Space Food Sticks with protein bars and Tang with 5-Hour Energy and Gatorade to have the strength to exercise and play hockey.

In my ministry and my Christian walk, I also need to eat the right things in order to have the proper nourishment for have the strength to complete my mission. That includes time spent alone with God in Bible study, prayer, and worship. It includes time spent together with other Christians in Bible study, prayer, and worship.   

In the Bible is a story of a man named Elijah who learned that he, too, needed to eat the proper nourishment in order to have the strength to complete his mission.  The Bible reads; 

“Then he (Elijah) looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.” (1 Kings 19:6-8) 

How about you? Are you eating “the right stuff” in order for you to complete your mission? Are you finding yourself running on fumes and full of hunger pains?

My advice to you my friend is to simply stop; and cry out to God. He is a Father who longs to provide food (natural and spiritual) because He loves you so very much. Ask Him to “give you your daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

Rejoice knowing, as the Psalmist wrote:
“The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:14-16)

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them". (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

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"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."