The Human Body: A Message Within

He first said how good it was to see me.

“Thanks. Opinions on that vary.” I replied (an appropriate response for professors).

He discussed his job at the medical facility with admirable contentment while also hinting toward greater aspirations. The pleasant conversation was encouraging, as was that he had gone out of his way to speak to me.

“I wanted you to know that I got baptized,” he said with a smile.

His statement was a surprise as was the confidence in his voice. My heart skipped as I explained how elated I was to hear his wonderful news. He recounted with great sincerity the recent past since his decision, including a humble, Christ-centered proclamation of victory over his daily challenges, especially in handling anxiety. He explained how he and his girlfriend, who is also a Christian, had learned to lean heavily on each other in pursuing Christ.

Then, he traced his journey back to an Exercise Physiology class I had taught.

At the recommendation of one of my Christian friends, I begin class on day one of each semester with self-introductions. Each student provides his or her name and hometown, concluding with a unique personal fact. While the exercise helps me remember names, it also allows me to share my own unique fact: that I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and this influences my teaching about the human body as having a Designer.

He then, with impressive detail, recalled concepts from class linked with his faith and that he has used concepts from that class to discuss Christianity with others. He admitted his own need for greater wisdom and understanding.

This unplanned meeting ”coincidentally” occurred one week after an extremely challenging event at the university which had caused me to question the eternal impact of my attempts to be salt and light for Christ on campus.

How generous of God to let me see, first hand, that the smallest seed planted in class can indeed produce eternal fruit.

The Urban Dictionary defines god-wink as “An occurrence so odd and out of the ordinary, it had to be put in place by God. A wink from God letting you know you’re in the right direction.” I love to point out to my students the scientific evidence that suggests there is a god-wink in the make-up of our body.  And sometimes, God shows me a god-wink to let me know I’m heading in the right direction.