In an astonishing story published by Runner’s World over the weekend, it was reported that American ultrarunner Tyler Andrew’s latest mountain record attempt ended on the highest possible stage.
Andrews reportedly reached the summit of Mount Everest from Base Camp in 9 hours and 55 minutes while using supplemental oxygen, setting a new fastest known time (FKT) for an oxygen-assisted ascent of the world’s tallest mountain. The previous mark was 10 hours and 56 minutes, set by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa in 2003, meaning Andrews lowered the time by just over an hour.
Andrews began the climb on May 27, starting from Everest Base Camp at 7:11 p.m. local time. Upon completion, his team reported that he reached the summit at 5:06 a.m. on May 28. The time is still expected to go through formal confirmation, but if verified, it would reset the oxygen-assisted speed mark on Everest.
The finish time is even wilder when you look at the route he took. Andrews began at Everest Base Camp, more than 17,500 feet up, and climbed to the 29,031-foot summit through the Khumbu Icefall, the higher camps, the South Col, and the summit ridge. One might say it’s not a super long route by running standards, but it gains roughly 11,500 feet in about 8.4 miles, according to iRunFar, with the obvious complication that all of it is happening on Everest…
But you know what’s even wilder than that? There’s been all this talk about oxygen but no one has praised the One who created oxygen, the God who breathed it into our lungs, or the Lord that sustains our life with it.
Think about that for a minute. Not one person acknowledged God as the giver of life, much less praised Him for it—or for the ability to scale a mountain.
The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7
But the truth is this… from the beginning of Genesis, it was “the Lord God who formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Do you get that? It’s God’s breath in our lungs that makes each one of us “a living soul.” We are nothing without Him.
Science itself declares that there is a Creator. Consider the act of breathing...
Body cells keep us alive by performing their various functions. To do this they need a constant supply of oxygen, which begins when we inhale. As the air passes through the nose, it is warmed and moistened. If foreign particles are present, little hairs called cilia stop them. Sneezing or blowing the nose clears out these particles.
When we inhale, our lungs stretch like balloons being filled with air. Then, in about two seconds, the lungs contract and the air is exhaled. This takes place about fifteen or twenty times a minute. Getting a sufficient quantity of oxygen from this air and into the bloodstream is the main function of the lungs. This is why they need fresh, clean air that is free of smoke, dust and fumes in order to maintain good health.
When expanded, the lungs have a surface of about two square feet for the air to pass over, but this is not enough to take care of their work. When God designed man’s lungs, He wisely added to the lung capacity without making that organ huge and bulky. He did this by forming blood channels ending in tiny sacs all over the linings of the lungs. There are about 600 million of these sacs, which increase the capacity of the lungs to 600 to 1,000 square feet (larger than many classrooms), which is 300 times the capacity of the lungs alone! Each one of these tiny sacs brings blood to its surface. In the two seconds that air flows over these sacs, oxygen is transferred to the blood. This oxygen enriched blood moves on to the heart and is pumped throughout the whole body.
The lungs not only take oxygen out of the incoming air, they also remove carbon dioxide from the blood. This carbon dioxide is a product of the body-cell processes and must be removed. The blood carries it to the lungs where it is expelled by the lung’s exhaling action.
"In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:10
This entire process goes on without our thinking about it (except when we have a cold and have difficulty breathing). Only God could design and make our wonderful bodies and their remarkable details, which are the same today as when he created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God, “in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” is always aware of everything pertaining to our lives.
So, knowing that your very life depends on the oxygen that God provides, don’t forget to thank Him my friend. And then ask yourself, "When is the last time that I thanked God for the air in my lungs and praised Him for His goodness in watching over me so carefully?" If it’s been a while, make today the day you vow to “praise the Lord” each and every day. Moving forward, let every inhale and exhale be a testament to the grace of the Creator.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the air in our lungs. Help us to never take it for granted by acknowledging You as the Giver and Sustainer of life and by choosing to praise You with the air You have supplied. Help us to never take the glory for any of our successes but to give You all the glory. It’s in Your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
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