One Sunday, an inquisitive man in our church small group posed the question, “What is a miracle?” His former pastor had told him a miracle is something beyond the realm of the explicable.

I thought about the countless physiological and neurological processes at work within him as he spoke. I was struck by how each one of us, and every moment of life, is a miracle.

Our existence itself is a miracle that science cannot adequately explain. Scientists have determined that the likelihood of a protein occurring naturally is 4.9 x 10^-191. Others have determined the likelihood of cells developing naturally is 1 x 10^-40,000. The fact that we exist as collections of trillions of differentiated cells functioning autonomously is miraculous and beyond the scope of the explicable. 

But let’s zoom in on what was happening during our class exchange. As our inquisitive classmate spoke, his heart pumped blood, his body regulated its temperature, he breathed regularly, his body metabolized, cells regenerated, muscles and bones contracted and relaxed. These are just a few of the physiological highlights.

And this was all taking place while he processed thoughts from a brain that can hold as much information as 20,000 dictionaries. His thoughts were expressed in speech employing different parts of the brain firing from synapse to synapse, calling into play the collaboration of teeth, tongue, lips, vocal cords and breath.

At the same time, others were hearing what he said, their ears transforming sound vibrations into nerve impulses communicated to the brain. As we listen, sounds are processed in the brain’s auditory cortex. The brain then sifts through its library of information to file and interpret the information in context and, perhaps, formulate a response.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.—Psalm 139:14

Our responses are based upon each individual’s unique experiences, perceptions and inputs. In fact, each one of us is unique in every way. Except in the case of identical twins, no one will ever share our DNA. No two people have ever been found to have identical fingerprints. No two people even see the same things exactly the same, our brains automatically filling in gaps in our visual fields.

My goal in sharing this is not to blind you with science but to fill you with awe. The God of heaven and earth formed each one of us as a complex, unique being. We were created in His image and represent the height of His design genius. Everything about each of us is a miracle. He knows us intimately and loves us immeasurably. That, I believe, is the greatest miracle of all.