I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.Psalm 139:14 (New International Version)
I’ve loved Psalm 139:14 ever since I first heard it. And I love it even more now that I read the New Living Translation: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous–how well I know it.”
Have you ever stopped to think about how awesome our minds and bodies are? How each part knows its function and operates as it should? How we can walk, swing our arms and talk – while our heart pumps and blood flows throughout our bodies – all without much thought and without breaking each complex task into small, thought-out steps?
I have. I praise God that my parents always told and taught me that I was not imperfect because of my disability, but that God made me and I was loved just as I was, in the outward body God gave me.
I also think I appreciate my body and its abilities so much because I remember:
Breathing…
…a period in my high school days when I experienced asthma. There’s nothing quite like the relief of being able to breathe freely again after you cannot.
Walking…
…the thrill of getting back on my feet each time a spica cast was removed and taking those first steps. I was so proud to show my dad when he came to visit me and mom at the hospital.
Seeing…
…the clarity of my vision when I had my lenses implanted due to cataracts in both eyes. I can still envision getting the first implant and blinking one eye then the other then back and forth, and thinking, “Dark…light…dark…light..dark…” It was literally like seeing night and day. Very cool. Then ditching my old coke-bottle glasses was the best!
Hearing…
…the elation of finally understanding what people were saying when I first started wearing hearing aids. I remember how entertaining it was when I’d listen to a song and realize what the lyrics really were, which was often comically different from what I had interpreted in the past.
Can you relate?
If you’ve ever had an illness, injury, or operation, perhaps you can relate to what I’m saying. Once you’ve experienced pain or challenges with a particular body part or function, I think you appreciate it more once it’s back to your normal.
Aren’t our bodies truly wonderful? I’m in awe at the many parts and how they all work together for our benefit.
Thank You, Lord, for the unbelievable, unexplainable way You knit our bodies together, in a very unique fashion for each of us. Help us to use these incredibly astonishing brains You gave us to take care of our bodies and minds.
