Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I’ve noticed that humans tend to experience awe most frequently in the presence of grandeur, such as mountains, a sunset, towering trees, or the ocean. Such sources of inspirations aren’t always available, however. At such times, we forget that we can look within to experience awe. I mean…literally. For example, did you know that it takes 17 muscles to control the movement of our eyeballs and that humans on average blink 16,800 times per day? Or that the surface area of the human lungs is approximately equal to the area of a tennis court? Or that 100,000 chemical reactions occur in the human brain every second?

The mechanisms that allow our bodies to breathe, sleep, drink, talk, and ambulate are incredibly intricate, yet we perform them every day without giving them a second thought (until we experience illness, injury, or the consequences of aging, that is). Everything scientists are learning about the complexity of our bodies confirms the insight of the writer of Psalm 139:

I praise you because I am fearfully

and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

If we truly know that God’s works are wonderful, we don’t have to look further than our own bodies to find reason to experience awe and give thanks. As Chief Tecumseh said, “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”