Machines

                                                                                                                                               

Aloha Dearest Children,

                It has been said that the submarine is the most complicated machine man has ever devised. After spending over twenty years in the navy on submarines, I can say that this statement is true.  The submarine is designed to sustain 150+ people in a metal tube in one of the most hostile environments on earth; under the oceans of the world. The submarine has hundreds of machines running in order for the crew of the submarine to accomplish any mission it is sent out to do. Machines that deal with hydraulic systems, air systems, steam systems, weapon systems, oxygen systems, trim systems, water and waste systems - just to name a few. On top of this, you place a nuclear reactor in the middle of it to propel the vessel through the water.

                Now, what most people do not know is that much maintenance is required for each of these machines onboard. For every machine, there is a P.M. (preventative maintenance) schedule to keep each machine running for as long as possible. There are many thousand repair-parts on board for this very purpose. And many times these machines need to be replaced entirely. All of this maintenance is required so that the life of the ship can be extended as long as possible and so that the submarine can go anywhere in the world at any given time. This is why many consider the submarine to be man’s greatest invention.

                But man’s greatest invention cannot hold a candle to one of God’s greatest creations – the human body. The human body is by far one of the most incredible engineering feats ever. God formed the body from the simplest of things. 

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) 

The same elements that are found in the earth are also found in the human body.  But this verse does not even begin to tell us how marvelous the human body really is. 

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well.” (Psalms 139:14). 

But God didn’t just design the body, He also designed all of the “systems” that make the body work. He designed the systems of the body to work together in unison to allow us to live a long life.

                A few of these systems are:

The Skeletal System – The bones and cartilages that provide a frame for the body. Calcium is both taken away and given back to the bones from the blood stream continuously. If the bones are being used as in exercise, the bones are given calcium to become stronger and if a person does not use their bones, calcium is taken away to be used by many different essential processes in the body. 

 The Muscular System – The system that creates movement (muscles, tendons). Also regulates body temperature and protects the body. Exercise causes a buildup of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the muscles which the body identifies as an injury to those muscles. The body compensates by sending excess oxygen and bicarbonate (which counteracts carbon dioxide) to help the production of proteins to strengthen the muscle and make them bigger.  

 The Circulatory System – Consists of blood, heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins. Pumps blood to and from the heart to supply oxygen to the body. The heart is always adjusting its rate to compensate for things like dehydration and fluid overload. Additionally, chemicals in the heart either cause the kidneys to produce more urine or hold production based on the needs of the body. 

 The Nervous System – The body's electrochemical communication system of which the brain is primary. The brain has something called "plasticity" which means that depending on the injury, other parts of the brain will take control of the functions of that injured part and compensate. 

            As you can see from a brief look (and I mean brief) at just a few of these systems, that it is incredibly complex and each system works intricately together with the other systems to keep the body working no matter what we are doing. Now unlike the submarine that needs constant maintenance from the men on the ship to keep it going, the human body is a self-generating machine. It is properly maintained when we exercise, eat the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients and get the right amount of sleep. This will keep the body going. A submarine’s lifespan is roughly twenty five years, whereas the average life-span of a man or woman is three times this much. In the Old Testament, men used to live much longer than this. But because of impurity in the blood, because of the sin of Adam, our life-span is much shorter. (If Adam had not sinned he would have been able to live forever). It is obvious that the body had a very intelligent designer. God! It is also so very obvious that man’s greatest invention cannot even compare to just one of God’s wonders. 

                                                                                                               Love Always, Ray

                                (Much thanks to my son Seth for much of the material in this sharing).