VERY good

Day 131 

My friend had her appendix taken out on Monday. She made it to class this morning, walking somewhat gingerly and laughing about the fact that she actually wanted to come to our 8:00 class. (After the week she’s had, can’t say I blame her.) Being fascinated with all things medical, I peppered her with questions about the hospital, the pain meds, the operation. Despite living in the 21st century where surgery is often routine, I’m still in awe of the fact that we can cut a person open, take out or fix something, sew them back up, and in a reasonable amount of time, they heal.

I’ve probably been something of a nuisance when I’ve gone in for a procedure: an ECG, a cortisone shot, a tendon transfer, getting my wisdom teeth removed. I’m curious about everything and ask a lot of questions. Some may misconstrue my queries as nervousness, but in the past, I haven’t really been that nervous. I watch it all and just want to know – I want to understand what the numbers mean, what’s going on in this body of mine, what the drugs from the IV are going to do. For a very long time, I wanted to be a doctor. Sometimes I read anatomy & physiology books for fun.  During breaks from school in Kenya, I went several times to the hospital “theatre” to observe operations. Eventually I got past my squeamishness (including an embarassing near-fainting episode during a cleft-palate repair), and reveled in the opportunity to learn, watch, and of course, ask questions galore.

My interest in the inner workings of the human body goes beyond mere curiosity, though. As I consider the intricacies and  ingenuity of the different systems that (usually) work so seamlessly together, I cannot help but worship their Creator. I know that our bodies are not mere accidents of evolution, but carefully and lovingly designed works of art.  Study sessions involving the basal ganglia, the middle ear, or the larynx can become worship sessions as I enjoy the One who knit me together.

After God created the world, the stars, the plants, and the animals, Genesis tells us that he saw that “it was good”. But after he created humans, male and female, he saw that “it was very good.”

Amen, Lord. I agree.