Cells and other (not so small) things

I've been thinking a lot lately about cells. And life cycles. And how things begin, grow, die, and form new life all over again. Maybe it's because I spent a while in my 1st grade student teaching placement in the fall teaching my kids about the life cycle of a pumpkin and the lesson really stuck with them for the rest of the year and was revisited on Earth Day (which my teacher-self was really excited about.) But I've also realized the connection between the cells in our bodies and plants living and dying and beginning anew, to the ways that our entire planet is constantly shifting and changing, causing destruction and pain, yet also heals itself over and over again.

Down to our very cells, everything in creation is experiencing the deep ache of not existing the way it was supposed to. Even our own bodies know it! But how often do our spirits recognize and identify our perpetual unrest, and what causes it?

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Romans 8:18-25

Thinking about this also reminded me of something a friend and I were talking about a few weeks ago - she reminded me that we literally become what we eat. The cells in my body that are right now being formed to replace ones that have died are being created from the food I ate this morning, and yesterday, and the day before that, and so on. If I only ever ate perfectly balanced meals and food that was grown exactly the way creation was meant to produce it, without harmful chemicals or preservatives and other things that my body was not meant to digest, my body would be as healthy as it could possibly be. And the cool thing is, I'd be able to outwardly see those results. My newly generating cells would be in even better working condition, I'd have tons of energy and my body would be even better at healing itself.

I think the same is true of our spiritual lives. If we are always feeding our souls with the truth of God, we would constantly be reshaped and reformed, and those results of real, deep intimacy with God would show outwardly in our lives. I have often fallen into the trap of believing that "I just need to show more grace" or "I just need to be more patient" or any other characteristic that I want to be better at - I can't just do any of those things because I want to. Instead, experiencing intimacy with my Creator will transform my heart and allow those characteristics to show in who I am. 

How cool is it that God, despite the fact that we rebelled against Him and always choose to serve ourselves instead, has blessed us with bodies and a place to live that are capable of creating new life from total destruction? And how powerful is that idea, in giving us hope for the final renewal that is yet to come? It literally gives me chills.