nervous system

Our nervous system is fascinating.  Millions of nerve cells transmit sensations of touch, sound, smell and many others from the far reaches of our bodies to our brains.  Our brains make instantaneous decision to react, respond or ignore the signals.  Motor neurons carry the signals for the body to take action.  Nerve signals travel amazingly fast and are the result of a combination of chemical and electrical activity.  This transmission is all the more remarkable when you realize that every signal is passed from one nerve cell to the next like a "bucket brigade" used to pass water to extinguish fires.  Our nervous system was designed to to three things: Identify the need to respond, determine and act in response and ensure ongoing body functions, like breathing, heartbeats and digestion proceed properly and without conscious thought.  Our spiritual life has a parallel system.  A healthy spiritual condition is maintained when we sense conditions within and outside our hearts and minds.  This input is processed through our spiritual core and decisions are made either to embrace, ignore or reject the input.  Spiritual instructions are provided to our hearts and minds to implement action.  Our spiritual "habit patterns" can help keep us breathing and walking in close relation with the Lord.  We don't often think about the complex physical processes involved with our physical nervous system and we don't normally have to for it to function.  Our spiritual system, however, needs constant attention to operate properly.  Without proper nourishment both the nervous system and our spiritual life begin to break down.  We need good health to sense our world and to respond appropriately.   Psalm 119:65-72 Be good to your servant, God;       be as good as your Word.    Train me in good common sense;       I'm thoroughly committed to living your way.    Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place,       but now I'm in step with your Word.    You are good, and the source of good;       train me in your goodness.    The godless spread lies about me,       but I focus my attention on what you are saying;    They're bland as a bucket of lard,       while I dance to the tune of your revelation.    My troubles turned out all for the best—       they forced me to learn from your textbook.    Truth from your mouth means more to me       than striking it rich in a gold mine.   blessings, Rob Smith