So You Thought You'd Marry a Math Guy . . .

In all actuality, I didn't think to quiz Dennis about his math abilities before we married, but it turns out that they are an intricate part of who he is. In a word, Dennis is a math guy. Not only is his superior memory reflected by quick recall of important dates (things like: "I remember when, on June 16 of 1967 . . ."; my jaw still drops), he can run mental rings around me math-wise, hands down. It sure makes for some interesting conversations around our house.

For one, Dennis's outstanding ability to comprehend and synthesize numbers opened my eyes to Bible facts to which I had before been oblivious. Did you know, for example, that the most wicked king of Judah, Manasseh, was born during the additional fifteen years of life Hezekiah begged God for? Think about it. If Hezekiah had died when God first said he should, Manasseh would not have been born, and many innocent lives would have been saved (2 Kings 21:16). Could it be that sometimes living extra years isn't all it's cracked up to be? Could it be that when God allows something in our lives that we absolutely do not understand, that seems counterintuitive to His standards of mercy and grace, He is in actuality saving us from a terrible, horrible thing about which we have no inkling (and won't till we get to Heaven)?

Then there are the weird-science-documentary- type questions he is apt to pose.

"Janine," he asks, "how many cells are in the human body?"

"A billion?"

"Try 37 trillion cells!"

Later, "Janine, how much DNA is in each cell in our bodies?"

"Uh . . . a foot?"

He smiles. "How about 6 feet? In each cell!"

After a pause, "If you only had 10 trillion cells in your body (but scientists estimate there are 37 trillion) and you stretched out the DNA in each of those cells, how many times would it reach to the sun and back? Keep in mind that the sun is about 93 million miles away from us."

"Uh . . . two?"

He smiles again. "Try 61 times."

"Wow!"

And I am wowed. I am also extremely grateful to have someone by my side who reminds me that the God of the infinite is also God of the finite. If God has so carefully designed this so nanoscopic a structure as DNA, how can we doubt that He is not intricately invested in our lives, unimportant though they might seem in our own eyes?

As Charles Spurgeon wrote, "... in every bone, joint, muscle, sinew, gland, and blood vessel you see the presence of God working everything according to the design of infinite wisdom. Would God be present in creation and in ruling over all things and not in grace?"

The God who counts every hair on our heads, the God who sees every sparrow that falls, that God watches over you. There is nothing, nothing that He does not know about you. He knows every single thing that is coming down the pike in your life (Isaiah 46:10). He is not caught unawares by any event in your life that takes you by storm. He is prepared. He has the answer. He has you in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). You are His and to the end He will take care of you (Isaiah 46:4). It will be okay!

Thank you, God, for a math guy who reminds me time and time again how great You are.

"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33)