By God’s design
May 22, 2008 (Thursday)
Senator Kennedy’s seizure led to the discovery of a brain tumor. I suppose I have paid close attention to his case because we are both 76 years old; I’m a few months older than he.
I hope he can be treated and cured.
Sooner or later the aging of our bodies allows the development of a condition we cannot overcome, but isn’t the strength and endurance of the human body remarkable?
The average human pulse rate is 72 per minute. At that rate, when a person reaches my age, the pump that keeps blood circulating has gone through its cycle almost three billion times (72 X 60 X 24 X 365 X 76.5 = 2,895,004,800). How much blood is pumped depends on the size of the person, but an average is probably 1750 gallons per day. That means my heart has pumped almost fifty million gallons of blood throughout my lifetime until now. The entire circulatory system is incredibly complex.
There are other systems in the body and organs that do their work year after year, sometimes for more than a hundred years. Incredible, wouldn’t you say? Do you know of a piece of equipment anywhere that has been working steadily 24 hours a day for 76 years?
We’re not surprised when something finally breaks down or a disease strikes. In the meantime, however, isn’t it great to be alive? Isn’t it fun to contemplate God’s designs? As the Psalmist prayed long ago, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14 NIV).