I don’t dance.
I know. I’ve tried.
Still I can’t help but marvel at those who can especially those who could twist and contort their bodies at high speeds in tune with the beat. I guess anybody would just drop their jaws. I remember the Streetboys, the UMD Dancers, the Maneuvers, NSync, the Jabbawockees, the Crew, The Philippine All-Stars.
These and more are testaments of the flexibility of the body given enough practice, talent and perseverance.
Sadly, I don’t have any of those when it comes to dancing. I guess dancing is really not for me. Maybe. Or I’m just not driven enough.
Our body is one such wonder. The way it can flex and bend and change and adapt into any environment possible. Any difficulty and we can easily adapt, survive and thrive in it. Imagine, I recently discovered that people do actually live and survive in Antartica when it was supposed to be inhabitable to humans. People were even discovered to thrive in dense jungles in the Amazon or in Africa. We thrive anywhere.
Talking about thriving, our brain is one survivor. It has been stated that brain cells particularly in the Central Nervous System could not replicate or repair itself unlike other body cells. Take for example if you had a wound on your hand, the cells of your hand would replicate to heal the break in the cell structure. The brain however does not have that capacity. If it gets broken, it’s broken. Nothing else could ever be done to it.
Nothing could be done.
Or so we think.
Recently, Neuroplasticity has been discovered. Neuroplasticity or brain plasticity tells us that the brain can change neural pathways and synapses to be able to thrive and adapt to changes in its environment. If, for example, someone suffered a mild brain injury, the brain has the capability of rewiring and re-assigning itself to be able to retain its regular function. Although this breakthrough is still in the process of discovery and innovation, it tells us one thing, while the brain could never recover from damage, it can still do things it used to do by rewiring and reprogramming itself. When compounded by therapy, the functioning of the body could return to normal.
You don’t have to be a neurologist to say that this is one jaw dropping aspect of humans as created by God. This goes to show that God wants us to adapt and to thrive. This concept also tells us how flexible we all are but also tells us how God has planned everything including regaining the lost.
I recall two weeks ago. We went up Mt. Palali, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. While trekking the 1, 700+ meters above sea level behemoth of a mountain, I was unfortunate to fall and injure my right hand – my good right hand.
All throughout the trek, I noticed how I was still able to climb up and down with apparent ease. I learned to adapt to the loss of my hand by using my left hand and my right arm. I fell down several times on the way down, but it did little to deter me from finishing my conquest. I learned that I could use my left hand for support with a staff and my right arm for balance and stability by pressing on some trunks and rocks along the way. Of course I also could not do it without the help of one great and caring companion who kept on calling out our guides to support me.
Still, one can’t help but wonder how God has planned all things. He made us so flexible to be able to dance. He created our brains to possess plasticity to rewire itself. He gave us the adaptability to discover hidden strengths and give us additional boosts to survive a long hike.
He made us moldable. He made us flexible.
This is probably why is also described as a Potter, a Silversmith, a Creator. We are creatures, silver, clay or whatever else you would like to call it before His sight. We have that capability to be change, to be molded, to be redefined as long as we submit ourselves to the Master. This probably tells that when we are in pain, we have that capability to heal, to change and to adapt to any situation so that we will be back to our original configuration: happiness. After all, God did create us and destined us for happiness with Him, thus he made us reconfigurable when damaged to return to His intended state.
Most importantly, He gave us His Son.
Without Jesus, we wouldn’t know true love that would undergo any sort of sacrifice just to save us. We wouldn’t know hope that would keep us moving forward and looking forward to meeting Christ again. We wouldn’t know faith that would propel us to trust in the Giver of life and the Author of the Universe.
God got all the bases covered.
Let’s dance.
Only Worthy By Name 