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AN ERYTHROCYTE’S SPEECH

My name is erythrocyte N and I’m just a normal red blood cell, undergoing my everyday function of transporting oxygen to tissues.
My life span is about 120 days (actually, in the erythrocyte handbook 1day=1year for a man).
I’d like to share an interesting series of events in my life with you: Up till about 1 week ago actually, my life span was like 15days. I’d also been having some challenges with oxygen transport and because of this my efficacy had drastically reduced; I must confess. But anytime I fell short, I would humbly go to the spleen where senile me would be destroyed and a new me would be produced from the bone marrow. Pretty cool, right?
However, I noticed something. Oxidizing agents kept coming my way, and their major target was my ferrous iron…having figured correctly that when my ferrous iron was converted to a ferric state, I became useless.
You see, when my iron is in the ferric state, the hemoglobin in me is converted to methemoglobin. And that’s a pretty sad state for me because I get all cranky and could engage in pity parties.
Last week Thursday, however, I went to visit my friend and neighbor;  Erythrocyte M. M is an awesome fellow, and he’s been alive for a very long time, and before now, I was oblivious to the source of his relatively long life span! (am so not going back to that state #smiles#). I opened up to M, and he told me this: “there’s a shunt known as the Rapaport-Leubering Shunt. It has helped my iron stay in a reduced state all this while. Instead of dying when my iron is oxidized, it just gets NADH (a cofactor) that reduces it back”. I was wowed. “Are you serious?” I asked M. “More than you could ever realize at the moment dear”, said my dear neighbor.
The secret of life, was by my side all this while, and I’d been so oblivious. Just so you know, I’m more fit than I’ve been all my life right now. My life seems like its brand new everyday!
The secret to abundant life is not far away. It’s not in short-term effectiveness. You see, no temptation has come our way that is not common to man (or to other erythrocytes). However, God, in his eternal faithfulness, always provides a way out for us! In my case, this way out of my short-term efficacy was the Rapaport-Leubering shunt. And yes, there’s a shunt for you too.
I’d say you should always have this at the forefront of your mind, regardless of your situation. Looking back now, am thankful for the presence of erythrocyte M who showed me the  way. When you find the way, it’d be obvious to you that God can never forsake you.
And then, you would experience, just like I do, a brand new life EVERYDAY!
                                                                                                               With love,
                                                                                                       From a transformed erythrocyte.



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