Approximately 400 years ago Lord Herbert of Cherbury said: “Whoever considers the study of anatomy I believe will never be an atheist; the frame of man’s body and coherence of his parts being so strange and paradoxical that I hold it to be the greatest miracle of nature.”1 (Psalm 139:14) adds: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
To put it mildly you are a creative masterpiece of our almighty God. As a believer in Christ, before our universe existed, before time began, God already had you on His mind, for we read in (Ephesians 1:4-5): “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
As I began to ponder just how each of us came into being a whole array of fascinating thoughts passed through my mind. If you ever wondered why I have such a great appreciation for the sanctity of human life, even at its earliest stages of development at conception, may the following thoughts about just how you came into being cause you to stand in awe at the masterpiece you truly are.
When your father and mother’s sperm and an egg cell united, a most unique and wonderful miracle occurs: life begins. And that’s how you began, as a single cell. That original cell called you, more tiny than the period at the end of a sentence, contained all the genetic materials needed to allow your precious life to begin its journey through time. And during your first eight weeks of existence an awesome explosion of life was occurring at breathtaking speed. And I just marvel at the genius within you even at conception. Your one original cell knew how to exchange matter and energy in such intricate ways as to form entire body systems within that initial eight weeks of life. And the knowledge that must have been contained deep within its chambers is truly staggering.
From the moment of your conception, you, with the help of your Creator, became the master of your destiny and environment. Your original single cell was supplied with all the knowledge and plans needed to create the most dazzling array of differentiated cells, organs and body systems that, when viewed as a unit, we call life. You did it all! Yes, your mother played a role by allowing you to use her womb as your temporary dwelling for nine months. And yes, she supplied you with the raw materials needed to grow – nutrition and oxygen. With room and board secure you began to design and create a masterpiece that no Picasso could ever paint or no Rodin could ever sculpt. While the canvass you used was hidden from everyone’s view I would have given anything to watch those first eight weeks of your early beginnings.
My friend, with you acting as designer, director, producer and lead actor, I could have told you well in advance that you would become an instant smash hit. And if everything went according to plan your lifespan would probably have a run of seventy to ninety wonderful years. But for any life to have a long run, it must have a great plot and a wonderful cast of characters. At conception you were really born. It just took nine more months to get everything in place for your gala appearance on the stage of life. After the first eight weeks, most everything was set for your grand beginning. The remaining seven months were just needed to add the finishing touches.
Your life’s plot was truly terrific: “Unique life explodes onto scene.” Perhaps your bio would read that you came up with a cure for cancer, or became a United States senator, or just maybe you helped raise three wonderful children.
By the end of eight weeks the following casting was complete: Heart was cast very early on at three weeks. By the end of week eight he became quite a leading man. He was beating up quite a storm and couldn’t wait for opening night to arrive. Arms and Legs got a call at four weeks and became an instant hit with Heart. In fact, Heart promised to support their movements for as long as your show ran. At thirty days Blood was hired to make sure that the entire cast was well fed. Everyone was amazed how Blood never seemed to take a break but was going about its task 24-7.
Between the fourth and fifth weeks of production Mouth, Ear, Nose and Eye applied for a part. They admitted that they were just starting out but promised that, by the end of the eighth week of production, they would all be major contributors to the show. They were signed to a lifetime contract and immediately Heart and Blood took them under their wing. Brain had been on the set since about the time Heart was cast but it wasn’t until week six that she felt she was ready to contribute to the show. By this time, she was really making waves with the entire cast and from that point on it became evident to all that Brain would make a great leading lady for Heart.
By the last week of casting, week eight, Heart and Brain began to take a very active role and were happy to welcome Stomach, Liver, Kidney and Taste Bud to the set. By the fifty-sixth day you were already destined for great stardom. By now your show was in full-scale production and the only thing that could prevent it from becoming a smash hit was a negative review by your mother and an early termination notice.
Well we have come to the end of our brief journey into what went on behind the scenes into the fantastic voyage called you! I would like to conclude with a closing comment from your real set designer: “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:15-16).
1 Bartleby.com https://www.bartleby.com/349/authors/98.html
This is wonderful Curt! I’ve made copies to share with my grand-children & great-grand-children.