life from non-life

There are some things that are so obvious, you don't even think about them. But of course, this may be a challenge if you are seeking understanding. Take the basic mechanisms of Darwinian evolution. Natural selection necessarily needs something to select from. Genetic mutation needs something to mutate. What in the world would that be for the origin of life? This is one of the key unanswered challenges to Darwinian evolution. It is striking in it's simplicity. How can natural selection or genetic mutation be the evolutionary mechanisms of first life? How do you get life from non-life?