God has given us bodies that hold up pretty well, all things considered. We get sick; our bodies heal. We cut or scrape or injure; our bodies heal. We overtax and go without sleep; our bodies struggle on and, over time, recover.

We start out tiny, with no way to get our own food or even a self-conscious awareness that that’s why we’re uncomfortable. The rooting reflex is there probably so even tiny babies don’t have to guess what to do when hungry. Our bodies fall asleep on the regular, without our having to tell them to, at least at first. Our eyes open and give input to the brain, so we try to keep them open. Our mouths feel things and our skin touches and report back: that tastes good, that hurts, that’s cold or hot or pinching. Our ears work without any ability to turn them either on or off. The brain decides what to pay attention to, but sounds flow in regardless.

Elimination and vomiting are also involuntary at first, and frequently later, too. Our bodies are pretty self-supporting, while being remarkably needy. Every morning there’s a dash to the bathroom. Every noon there’s rumbling and discomfort until we’ve eaten. Every evening the eyes get heavier and heavier until at last we can’t keep them open, even with toothpicks. (I’m not recommending toothpicks; it always makes me wince when cartoon characters try to prop their eyes open.)

My belief is that we chose to come to earth. It was a conscious decision. We don’t remember making that decision, because that was part of the deal: go to earth, learn what it’s like to have a body and live in a family, experience all the things, hot, cold, sex, everything, but without memory of pre-earth life. Then when we get back to God, we’ll talk over this experience. There are things we should have learned while here: how to take care of a body, how to live, laugh, and love, how to forgive and why, what it feels like to be forgiven. Then too, there are things we should have tried to do while here: live, laugh, love, forgive, recognize problems, repent, and try to do better.

In order for this to work, our bodies have to be able to put up with a lot. We’re going to abuse our bodies at times. At other times we will hope and pray to last just a little longer so we can accomplish this one more thing, vitally important in the moment.