The Penguin Suit

Notes
Transcript

On December 29, 1987, a Soviet cosmonaut returned to the earth after 326 days in orbit. He was in good health, which hasn't always been the case in record-breaking voyages. Five years earlier, touching down after 211 days in space, two cosmonauts suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates, and heart palpitations. They couldn't walk for a week, and after 30 days, they were still undergoing therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts. At zero gravity, the muscles of the body begin to waste away because there is no resistance. To counteract this, the Soviets prescribed a vigorous exercise program for the cosmonauts. They invented the "penguin suit," a running suit laced with elastic bands. It resists every move the cosmonauts make, forcing them to exert their strength. Apparently the regimen worked.

Many times we can long for an easy life with no trials or testing, but it takes difficult times to strengthen our faith. Going through the daily struggles of the penguin suits saved the astronauts many weeks and months of pain later. Even so, it is through the trials of life that God perfects us and grows us so we can serve Him better.


Source: Daily in the Word, Apirl 28, 2008

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