Reserve?

Certainly we wouldn't use up the last bit of gasoline in our car before heading to the service station.  The prudent person has extra of the necessities of life: food, medicine, etc.  Yet what about 'reserve' in our bodies?

Science reveals that our human bodies are extremely intricate in design, with capacities in every area that should exceed need.  We use only a percentage of our kidney function, lung capacity, and in every area.  All our our bodily systems are interdependent.  All systems and organs are meant to last a lifetime!  

This is a bit theoretical.  What I'm reaching for is an understanding that we need to make sure we will always have the "reserve," the extra capacity, in every part of our bodies.  We need to strive to not just do the minimum - in anything, we need to push ourselves a bit more to develop the extra strength.

Since I am a retired dialysis nurse, a Certified Nephrology Nurse, I can speak about kidneys, as you who have read this blog before know.  We have so much extra kidney function that we don't use, even having TWO kidneys!  That function gradually declines, with age, yet our kidneys should last as long as the rest of our bodies, if we take care of them!  This is true for your heart, brain, stomach - every part of us!

We can keep this reserve bodily function simply if we perform the health habits we know will work, those that are recommended by physicians: exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, DON'T SMOKE!!!, take medicine as prescribed by your physician, don't take herbal supplements unless prescribed by your physician, get good sleep.  When I was studying nursing years ago, we addressed every bodily system.  After studying most of them I noticed: in every area, there were two things that wreaked havoc with your body: smoking and birth control pills.

By the way, smoking not only causes cancer, it gradually kills your kidneys and every part of you.  (My favorite nephrologist colleague said that he thinks nurses smoke too much and dialysis nurses smoke the most.  Go figure!)

Recently I met an avid exerciser.  This lovely young woman was what is called "morbidly obese."  She exercised regularly but ate too much and was unable to lose weight.  She reported, "my doctor told me to take ibuprofen for back pain.  Sometimes I take a lot more than he says, but it really helps."  I responded, "Then you might soon be my patient if I still worked in dialysis.  Never take more than what your doctor recommends.  Over-use of over-the-counter analgesics (non-prescribed pain killers) may lead to kidney failure!!"  I believe she understood what I was trying to tell her. I had a patient with combined liver-kidney failure who was only eight years old!!

What about "reserve" mental capacity?  Do we allow ourselves to be over-stressed?  We need to arrange our lives to have time to de-stress.  This is not always easy but it is "do-able."

What about "reserve" spiritual capacity?  Do we have faith in God that we can always count on?  Do we practice our faith?  This is our greatest strength, what 'powers' the other aspects of our lives!  It's worth thinking about what we can do to strengthen our spiritual muscles!

Dear Lord, on this day, Sunday, Your day, I give thanks for worshiping at church with my community, and having fun with family and friends.  Please lead me to start out a new week full of energy to do the work You lead me to do!