Knees are for praying too

Sitting at a red light in early rush hour traffic, a young well dressed male slipped in the rain, talking on the phone while running to catch the bus. He had a belt on around his waist (thank goodness) outlining his muscular physique. He was sporting a fine leather attaché case and a large bag from a major department store. The slip was not a complete fall. One knee passionately kissed the ground, and immediately both hands sprang to break the completion of the stumble. Turning to picking up the phone first, he gathered his balance, bag and attaché case, collected his composure and in a twinkle of the eye, missed only a beat to the bus.

You ever wonder what the body would be like without your knees? Everyone has an identical matching set. Every waking moment they take constant pounding, crawling, bending, twisting, falls, hurry, scurry and standing. Doctors, hospitals and orthopedic surgeons predict and depend on thousands upon thousands of knee injuries each year to adorn their offices. Not to mention the current war injuries with knees and legs that have to be artificially fitted.

And then there is that old song that connects . . . "da thigh bone conneka to da knee bone. Da knee bone conneka to da leg bone. Da leg bone connekta to da foot bone."

The knee is the largest joint in the body. It is also the most complex. The knee not only allows you to sit, stand, bend and straighten the lower leg, but you can pivot. Most models and dancers learn this move in the first class. Pivoting allows you to turn. Your knee has a "hinge-like joint" that further allows your body to stop and turn around when your brain satellites the signal.

Keeping it simple, a hinge is a large and necessary part of our daily lives. We have hinges on the toilet seat, kitchen cabinets, eyeglasses, refrigerators and all doors.

But ahh, the knee and the hinge therein is the "joint" you are most thankful for. In every move the knee makes there is a slight rotation in the motion. This means that we possibly use the Creator's large hinge in our body more than we use the man-made manufactured hinges on our litany of so-called indispensable toys.

The knee has a "C" shaped piece of tissue which allows the bones to slide freely on each other. There are four bones. There is a fluid sac called a "bursa" around the knee joint so the muscles and tendons can slide freely as the knee moves.

I kept wondering if that young man stopped to bend his knees in prayer that day. His knees did not fail him. Nor did they buckle and give away. Those bones wrapped in a piece of tissue with a sac of fluid took yet another rotation in the motion of a uncomfortable confrontation with concrete, then straightened back up, turned, moved on command, two-steps-onto-the-bus, smile a thank-you to the driver, pay and sit.

I think God made the knees as much for praying as for any other activity. That would surely make a lot of us fall behind and miss a bus load of blessings. So, what do you have programmed for your knees today? Whatever it is just remember, the knee bone has connections.

— — —

Ester Davis is a celebrated host/producer on PAX-TV, Channel 68, every Saturday, 5-6 a.m, a #1 rated show. Visit her website at The Ester Davis Show. © copyright 2005 by Ester Davis.

— — —

UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum is a big tent for all expressions

of faith and spirituality, neither excluding nor favoring any.

All opinions expressed belong to the writer alone, and are

not necessarily shared by UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum.