My Body

As we're about to start a new procedure soon, I have been thinking a lot lately about my body and what it means.

The thoughts that come to mind are varied and I'm not quite sure how to organize, so I'll list :) :

1. I've always regarded my body from a distance. Like I could stand apart and examine it objectively. And, unfortunately, I am a harsh critic. I've not always cared for it well. In hard seasons, I'm not often hungry and it has suffered. In training, I push my body hard without thinking of consequences afterward (I never even think about the option of ibuprofen). I get frustrated when it becomes sick and stays sick for months. When my body fails to do what it seems made to do (for example, produce and grow life or heal itself quickly), I feel I can't be angry with the Lord so the blame turns toward my body. It must be the faulty one.

2. At the same time, my body is a temple of the Lord's and the Spirit's dwelling place. It is made in His image. The mold was broken after He made mine, in all of its weird and lovely details. Every cell, sinew, tendon is knitted together in design. As something I've studied in detail, I am in awe of it's complexity and beauty. In gross anatomy, every new thing we uncovered pointed to a Designer; how could you not be made breathless by the progression of two cells into a complex, unique person? Shouldn't I respect my body for the value He placed on it when He created me? Our bodies are significant, as Christ incarnate was hugely significant.

3. I'm about to demand a LOT of my body in the days/weeks to come and I find myself more sympathetic toward it. I feel more tender toward it than I probably ever have. This is my vessel until glory and He has chosen it for me. And who I am is inseparable from it.