Knee Injury

Yesterday evening I was playing basketball in a league with some friends.  It has been a very disappointing season but fun and good exercise nonetheless.  However, as I was running back to prevent an opposing player from scoring, I planted my foot to stop myself and at that moment everything changed.

• I felt a “pop” behind my knee.
• My weight instantly shifted to my right leg and my body began to fall.
• Before even reaching the floor my mind began thinking of the possible injuries I might have sustained and recognized something was wrong.
• Without even realizing it, my hands instinctively went out and rescued me from falling hard (kind of like how we instantly pull back our hands when we touch a hot stove before we even feel pain).
• My leg and foot worked together to bring my knee to a more neutral position.
• My eyes scanned over the knee, trying to assess the damage.
• My hands came up to hold my knee as the pain began kicking in.
• At this moment I began feeling the rest of my body coping with the pain, almost as if my body was trying to take on some of the pain load or at least reacting to the pain my knee was feeling.
  • My entire body felt uncomfortable and uneasy.
  • My eyes and face formed expressions of pain.
  • I felt slightly lightheaded and my stomach very uneasy.
• My mouth began communicating to others what happened.
• My brain quickly sent messages for other parts to released adrenalin and natural painkillers to relieve some of the pain.
• And after sitting on the court for a little while, I used my good leg and arms to slide myself off of the court so the basketball game could resume.

Despite the fact that injuries are painful, it’s actually pretty amazing how the body works together so flawlessly.  I didn’t have to ask my hands to catch me as I fell.  I didn’t have to convince my brain to send adrenalin and endorphins to help with the pain.  I didn’t have body parts stubbornly refusing to help out.  Everything just worked together perfectly without question or complaint.

This concept of the body working together is common in Scripture (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Romans 12:4-5; etc) as well as Christ being the head of the body (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; etc).  Yet sometimes we, as the individual parts, forget that we are supposed to work together and don’t do as the Head, Christ, has instructed us.  The Body of Christ doesn’t need parts that refuse to help or work with others.  We shouldn’t have to ask and convince Christians to do “Christian” works.  Yet far too often this is exactly what happens.

When someone else is hurting, struggling, or going through a tough time, do we rush to help them and bear their load or do we assume others will do it?  If your body put forth the same attitude and effort that you do with others in the church, would you be happy with your body?  We must remember the words of Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”  Let’s remember how wonderfully our physical body works together, and let this serve as a reminder of how the Body of Christ should also work.

More Water Problems…

From leaks in our showers, drains, sinks, toilets, a window well, a dishwasher, and just about every other source in our house, we are no strangers to water problems.  But the issue has usually been about containing the water.  As of this morning, however, our townhome complex has been without water for a full day.  It’s one thing to have leaks here and there, but it is a whole different world when there is no water at all.  You can’t wash your hands.  You can’t shave or wash your face. You can’t really use the toilets (except for one flush).  Taking a shower?  Forget it.  The dirty dishes pile up and laundry remains unwashed.  A person quickly realizes what a luxury running water really is.

In our spiritual lives the problem is never that the water isn’t available for us.  We know from Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman that when we follow and obey His word, we will have a never-ending “well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:1-15).  Nevertheless, there are still times when we have water “leaks” and “shortages.”  The water leaks are those times when we let worldly things get in the way of our spiritual lives.  This is when sports, hobbies, jobs, and a number of other aspects get in the way of our spiritual nourishment.  The water shortages are those times when we are deeply struggling with sin and walking in darkness (1 John 1:5-9).  At these times, a person no longer has access to God’s “spring of eternal life.”  We begin living a life away from the water source and begin dying of thirst.  It’s not that the water isn’t available, it’s that we are no longer quenching our spiritual thirst.

A familiar Scripture says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).  This is a divine promise.  See, the problem is never that the water isn’t accessible.  The problem is that we create our own spiritual water leaks and shortages.  It definitely is a pain dealing with so many water issues over the last few years, but the last thing we want are spiritual water problems.  Are there any leaks or shortages in your life?

Jumping Off The “Trust” Cliff

In his book, Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel recounted an interesting personal story.  “One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, ‘Hey Dad! Catch me!’  I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me.  He had jumped and then yelled ‘Hey Dad!’  I became an instant circus act, catching him.  We both fell to the ground.  For a moment after I caught him I could hardly talk.  When I found my voice again I gasped in exasperation: ‘Zac! Can you give me one good reason why you did that?’  He responded with remarkable calmness: ‘Sure…because you’re my Dad.’  His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy” (46-47).

As I read this story, I couldn’t help but think about God.  Life often feels like one giant leap off of a cliff.  It could either end in disaster or end in the arms of our Heavenly Father.  Christians have probably all experienced how trustworthy God is.  The problem is, there is a huge difference between a “leap of faith,” and a “leap of ignorance.”  A “leap of faith” is when we trust that God’s wisdom and commands in the Bible are true and follow them with complete confidence.  A “leap of ignorance” is when we trust our own rules, interpretations, and wisdom and think that God is still going catch us.  Unfortunately, many people have placed their wisdom and wants above God’s.  It is then that the leap becomes complete foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).

Let’s be reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.  ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”  Jumping off of the “trust” cliff is all about trusting in the Lord’s commands and the Lord’s wisdom, not our own.  Too often we get into the trap of, “Well, I just don’t think God would condemn this,” or “I think this is a better way,” or even, “I like this better.”  It’s not about what “I” think; it’s about what God thinks.

Saying that God is trustworthy is an understatement.  He has never broken a promise.  He will always fulfill His word.  So, we must make sure that we are following His word, not our own.  When we are standing on the edge of the “trust” cliff, let’s make sure we are taking the “leap of faith,” and not the “leap of ignorance.”

Complete and Utter Stubbornness

As an airplane was on its way to Paris, a report came in about heavy fog in “the City of Lights.”  The fog was so severe that landing the plane in Paris was completely out of the question.  So, the aircraft was diverted to another city about 190 miles away where the passengers were to be carried home by charter busses.  Now, most passengers would be upset by the delay but would probably understand the situation the airline was in.  At least the company was professional enough to offer the people a nice bus ride to their destination.

However, when the plane finally landed, over 20 passengers refused to get off the plane and demanded that they be taken to Paris by air.  The flight attendants were going to remain on the aircraft but the passengers became so troublesome that even the attendants left.  To try to get the people out of the plane, bathrooms were locked, the power was turned off, and the people were left in the dark.  The disgruntled people staged this protest for four hours, which was probably longer than the bus ride would have been.  After this hissy fit, the people still ended up leaving the plane, walked onto a bus, and headed home to Paris, a place they could have been at hours ago had they not been so completely and utterly stubborn.

While we may not have been stubborn in this situation, most of us can be quite obstinate.  Usually it comes out with our spouse, friends, siblings, or parents.  The problem is, this frequently shows its ugly face with spiritual things as well.  See, if the church isn’t doing things as someone sees fit, then stubbornness will often kick in and problems will occur.  Let’s not confuse obedience and service to the Lord with bull-headed stubbornness of our own personal opinions.

Problems are going to happen.  Issues will occur.  There will always be disagreements.  The question is, how are we going to handle them?  Are we going to be stubborn and stiff-necked like the airline passengers, or are we going to work together for a solution?  When we choose the latter, we will be better for it (Psalm 133).  This is what unity is all about (1 Corinthians 1:10; Hebrews 13:1).  Let’s close with the excellent words of Romans 12:16-18, “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

Karma

I don’t know what has been in the water the last year or two, but it seems like more and more people are beginning to believe in karma.  What is karma?  It is the belief that a deed we do will directly affect our future.  In other words, if I do something bad, then bad things will happen to me, if I do something good, then good things will happen to me.  For example, a person told the story about her friend who decided to help a blind man cross the street.  Later that day the friend bought a lottery ticket and won a nice chunk of cash.  The claim is that this lady brought “good karma” on herself by helping the blind man.

For whatever reason, people are buying into this mindset.  There are thousands of testimonies online of people telling about karma in their lives.  It’s even been seen in the sports world lately as well.  The question is, does the Bible support the idea of karma?

There certainly are similarities to the karma mindset in Scripture.  Here are just a few:

• “…Those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it” (Job 4:8).
• “…Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
• “…Treat people the same way you want them to treat you…” (Matthew 7:12).

Clearly Scripture has similar concepts to karma, but by no means does this show that Scripture supports karma.  First of all, there are tons of passages about bad things happening to good people and vise-versa (Job 21:6-7; Psalm 73; Jeremiah 12:1-4; Habakkuk 1:13; etc).  This is a direct contradiction of karma.  Secondly, we can look at men like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and the Apostles and see the difficulties they had to endure even though they were righteous.  Not to mention the most righteous and holy person, Jesus Christ, endured more suffering and pain than we can fathom.  Third, karma is directly associated with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism.  These aren’t biblical teachings.  People who support the idea of karma, knowingly or unknowingly, are supporting these religious philosophies.  Fourth, karma is similar to our culture’s mindset.  Our society is very accepting and tolerant.  Karma goes along with our flawed culture’s mindset of, “if I’m a good person, I will go to heaven.”  This isn’t what Scripture teaches (Matthew 7:21).

Karma is really just a “feel-good” philosophy that only works in a perfect, “cookie-cutter” type world.  We do not live in such a world.  This life is much more than “being a good person” or “doing good deeds,” as karma and our culture suggest.  In some ways karma is just the newest excuse for people to live according to their own standards.  While we should strive to be a good person and do good things, above everything else we must strive to be obedient to God and live by His standards (1 John 2:3-6).

Bats (Part 3)

We have been discussing these ominous winged animals in the past few articles.  We have talked about the need for the bat in our environment.  We discussed their masterfully designed feet for hanging, their incredibly flexible, sensitive, and special wings, as well as their unique reproductive system.  While all of these are great, none of them hold a candle to the next quality, echolocation.

The Bat’s Echolocation.  While some bats have great eyesight, many do not.  Several bats use echolocation to travel and hunt.  What is echolocation?  It is essentially “seeing” with sound, kind of like submarines.  In order to “see” their surroundings, the bat will make a sound and listen to how it changes and how long it takes to return.  So, let’s take a look at a few areas of echolocation.

First of all, the bat’s sounds.  The noises bats make are incredibly loud, about 130 decibels (BatWorlds.com).  This is equivalent to the sounds made by jet engines and machine guns.  Thankfully, these sounds are so high pitched that humans cannot hear them.  The problem is, bats can hear them and it is even too loud for themselves.  To keep from damaging its own ears, it contracts a muscle in its middle ear and essentially “plugs” its own ears.  It will do this when it makes the noise and then relax the muscle to hear the echo and “see” where it is going.  Sometimes the bat will give off a continuous noise (Also called High Duty Cycle Echolocation).  Obviously this would be a real danger to its ears.  However, it will make noises out of its own hearing range so that it doesn’t go deaf.  The amazing part is that when the noise bounces off another object, it will bring the frequency of the sound into the bats hearing range and lower the volume to a safe level.  The bat is perfectly equipped to use echolocation without going deaf.

Second, the bat’s hearing.  As you might imagine, their hearing is unbelievably sensitive.  For example, bats that eat frogs are able to tell which frogs are poisonous by listening to the subtle differences in their mating calls.  The African heart-nosed bat’s ears are so sensitive that it can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on the sand.  Not only can bats hear well, but they are specially designed to focus in on their own noises.  Even if there are thousands of bats around, a bat can separate its own calls from all the others.  Obviously hearing the loud calls of other bats could damage its ears as well.  However, the bats brain is designed in such a way that it will cut out background noises so it can focus in on its own specific noises and not go deaf at the same time (Neuroethology: Echolocation in the Bat).

Thirdly, the bat’s brain.  It is very difficult for us to fully understand this process.  It is infinitely more complex than we have discussed.  Nearly every little detail of the bat is fine tuned for echolocation.  Even if it could make and hear the sounds, if its brain couldn’t keep up it would fail miserably.  However, the bat can make, listen, and process all of the information it gathers with 99% accuracy (Neuroethology: Echolocation in the Bat).  It doesn’t do this slowly either.  With one call, the bat’s brain is able to interpret huge amounts of information in just millionths of a second.  In other words, with one noise, it will “see” the small insect directly in front of it as well as all the other trees, leaves, and other bats in the background.  To give an example of just how fine tuned and sensitive a bats echolocation is, some fishing bats are able to detect a minnow’s fin, as fine as a human hair, sticking only two millimeters out of the water (AnswersInGenesis.org).

So, not only do bats make loud sounds, but they have special features to keep from going deaf.  They are so sensitive that they can hear very quite noises, subtle changes, as well as distinguish their own noises and process all of this information with unbelievable speed and accuracy.  Its entire brain, nervous system, body, and existence is fine tuned to use echolocation flawlessly.  I can’t exaggerate how exquisite this entire process really is.

We have talked about many different features of the bat.  Here is basically how these awesome features work together.  A bat will be hanging upside down.  It will have to flex to let go of the surface it’s on and will begin flying without getting dizzy or light headed at all.  Using the tiny hairs on its wings, it will change the wing’s shape depending on the air and wind qualities to fly more efficiently.  It will use echolocation to perfectly navigate its way around to look for food without going deaf or being hindered by the other bats that might be making noises as well.  Once it finds a bug it will continue to use echolocation to close in on it.  When it gets to the bug it will eat it right out of the air, or more commonly, use the same very sensitive hairs on its wings to “feel” where the bug is, trap it, bring it to its mouth, and eat it.  Some of these bugs are in the air and some on the ground.  And remember, it is able to do this so quickly and efficiently that many bats will eat hundreds, or even thousands, of bugs in a matter of hours.  And the fact that they can do this keeps our insect population at safe levels.

The bat’s abilities are mind blowing.  How could all of these abilities possibly have evolved?  If we take just one small feature away from the bat, the entire process crumbles and the bat is useless.  The bat is complex and perfectly designed from head to toe, literally.

By looking at the bat and the many other awesome animals God has made, surely we can join in with the apostle Paul and say,  “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways…For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33, 36).

More Reading:

Bats (Part 1)

Bats (Part 2)

Bats (Part 2)

Bats are awesome.  Period.  Last time we talked about how needed they are when it comes to controlling the insect population and spreading plant seeds.  We also talked about the complexity of the bat’s feet and how they are perfectly designed to hang upside down for extremely long periods of time.  The bat’s unique abilities don’t stop there though.  Let’s look at two other characteristics that prove God is the designer of this world.

The Bat’s Wings.  Bats are often identified by their wings.  Obviously their wings are not covered with feathers and fur like most flying animals.  The bats wing is essentially an arm with very long fingers and skin that spreads in-between them in the shape of a wing.  Unlike most mammals, the bat’s finger bones are very flexible and flattened out to make a perfect frame for the wing.  The skin on the wings, called a membrane, is very stretchy and will grow back quickly if torn.  Because of the design of the wing, a bat can move much quicker and more accurately than birds.  Some bats can even fly at 60 mph.

Most amazing of all, the surface of their wings are covered with little bumps and a tiny hair at the center of each bump.  These bumps and hairs are about as sensitive as our fingertips.  It will use these sensitive hairs to gather detailed information about their surroundings.  For example, it will collect information about the air and wind and will change its wing’s shape and angle in order to fly more efficiently for the air conditions.  Not only does it use its wings for flight, but also to keep warm.  When a bat comes back to rest, it will fold its arms in such a way to trap an air pocket around its body.  Its body heat will warm up this air and act like insulation on cold nights.

The Bat’s Reproduction.  Just like most animals, bats will breed during certain seasons.  Unlike other animals though, female bats can control when it has its young.  Some species can store sperm for a later time or even delay the implanting of a fertilized egg until there is plenty of fruit and insects to feed on.  So, if mating occurred in the fall, the female bat can delay the process until the next spring when there is more food and it is easier to raise its young.  It will also have one young at a time so it is easier to raise.

Every part of the bat is remarkably complex.  Every part of it works together perfectly to form a well-designed animal.  Only God is capable of such design.  Genesis 1:21 states, “God created…every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.”  All of God creations are good, and the bat is definitely one of them.

In the next article we will look into the most amazing ability the bat has, echolocation (seeing with sound).  If you thought the previous abilities were interesting, just wait for echolocation.

More Reading:

Bats (Part 1)

Bats (Part 3)