What Are The Odds? – 55 and beyond

As my years continue to accumulate, I sometimes wonder…is this how I was supposed to turn out? Am I just here to take up space or am I here for a reason?

Science claims we can trace our ancestry back to marine organisms. Did we really evolve from what started as simple chemical elements into one-celled living creatures?

And then, eventually from those, into what we see in a mirror? Or, were we created by a superior being? How did we come to be here? What’s so special about this place?

Here on Planet Earth we have what we need to survive; food, water, sunlight for warmth and oxygen. Could we survive anywhere else? Let’s try to figure that out.

In our Solar System we live on the only planet that contains all of these in the right proportions. So those chances are one out of nine (if you still count Pluto).What about the rest of the universe?

It’s estimated that in the known universe (we haven’t seen it all, yet) there are one septillion stars. That’s 1 followed by 24 zeros. For those who may have a tough time imagining that, it’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Each star is estimated to have 1.6 planets. You can do the math on that one. Just change the first zero in the above number to 6. So, what are the odds that we would wind up here? One out of 1.6 septillion.

Now, if your mind isn’t boggled enough by your chance of being here…on Planet Earth, consider this… humans are just one out of an estimated 9 million different life forms on this planet. Who, or what made you into a human when you could have “evolved” into any one of these: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So, if your 1 in 1.6 septillion chance of being on this planet is combined with the one in 9 million chance of being human, you have decreased your probability of being evolved here to 1 in 1,440,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000.

All right. You find yourself on this planet and as a human being, but what are the odds of you being here…..today?

Planet Earth is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old (remember, God doesn’t use a clock or a calendar).

We know, though, a century is 100 years. Over those 4.5 billion years, the chance for you to be alive in this, or any other, century is 1 in 45 million.

Put it all together, what are your chances of 1. Being on the right planet. 2. In the right body. 3. At this time? Ready for this one?

1 chance in 6,480,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000! A number so large there isn’t a name for it.

Now THAT’S a long shot!

Scientists believe the universe started with a “Big Bang”. But what was there before? And who pulled the trigger? The universe is supposed to be everything, but it is still expanding. If this universe is “all there is”, what is it expanding into?

The bible says God created everything in six days (remember, He rested on day seven), but the universe has been calculated to be 13 billion years old. How could that happen? One answer could be that God’s days are way different than ours. We measure days by sunrise and sunset, day and night. But the book of Genesis says, God didn’t even create our sun and moon until his fourth day. How were days measured before then? Maybe the Bible sheds some light on that. The book of 2 Peter, verses 3:8-9, tell us one day for the Lord is like a thousand years for mankind.

And if we were created, why? The Bible says that God does have emotions. Various times in the Bible He’s described as being angry, jealous, compassionate and loving. There are times I suspect God was also lonely. As far as we know, there is nobody else like Him. He is the One and Only and all He hears are angels constantly and never endingly singing praises. Ever have to listen to the same song over and over and over (for eternity)? Even God may have eventually felt the need for some change. What better way than to create a family. So, after five days spent creating a suitable environment, on day six he started with Adam.

I’ve occasionally wondered, if God can do anything, and everything He does is perfect, can God outdo Himself? (I think God is smiling at that one). I suspect though, as He pondered over Adam, He may have said, “You know, I can do better than that”. So now, we have Eve. Then He did something I think even He regrets…He gave us freedom to choose. It only took six chapters in Genesis for Him to see we don’t always choose wisely. So, except for Noah and his family, He hit the delete key, washed us away, and started over.

In the centuries that passed, He tried to help us out by sending prophets to teach us. He gave Moses the Ten Commandments

(I occasionally think of them as the Ten Guardrails. Keep on the right side of them and you’ll stay safe). Unfortunately, time after time, we fail Him. I think when He saw we aren’t good listeners, instead of telling us how to behave, He took human form to show us.

Have we learned yet? I fear not. It has been prophesied there will be another end to us. But, is there still hope? He gave us the owner’s manual. We just need to follow it. What do we have to gain? Everything!

Well then, which is it, evolution or creation?

Looking at the odds of evolving into who, what, when and where I am, creation is much more realistic. I can’t prove it and I wasn’t an eye witness to it, but, when compared to evolution…..

I’d bet on it!

ALL IN!