While preparing a university photo-compilation assignment about awe in nature, I discovered an image of laminin that resembled a cross. The next morning, a video about the same protein appeared among my recommendations. This post records that striking timing, explains what laminin actually is and reflects carefully on Psalm 37:23 and Colossians 1:16–17.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.”
How the Discovery Began
It began while I was preparing a photo compilation for a university assignment. I was searching Pinterest for examples from nature that make us respond with “Wow!” or “Awe!” when I came across an older post from my twin.
The post contained an unusual image shaped like a cross. Naturally curious, I clicked it and began reading. I thought the subject was worthy of including in my assignment.
My first thought was, “Someone got bored and decided to decorate the cross.” That thought was quickly challenged when I learned that the image was intended to represent laminin, a biological molecule found in the structures surrounding our cells.
What Laminin Actually Is
Laminin is not a cell. Laminins are a family of large extracellular-matrix proteins and major components of basement membranes—the thin, specialised layers that help support and organise cells in many tissues. Laminin molecules are assembled from alpha, beta and gamma protein chains and participate in cell attachment, migration, signalling and tissue organisation.
Some laminin molecules have been observed in cruciform or cross-like configurations, but they are flexible three-dimensional molecules rather than rigid, perfectly formed Christian crosses. Different laminin family members also vary in structure and function.
Laminin, therefore, contributes meaningfully to biological structure, but it is not the single substance preventing the human body from falling apart. Our tissues depend on a complex network of cells, collagen, laminins, and many other extracellular matrix components.
My original comparison of steel, cement, and a building’s foundation still works as a devotional metaphor, provided it is not taken as a complete scientific definition. Laminin is one important part of a much larger structural and signalling network.
Adding Laminin to My Assignment
After reading about laminin, I decided to add the image and discovery to my university assignment. I completed the compilation and believed that was the end of the matter.
The following morning, I checked my emails and noticed several newly uploaded videos, including my husband’s latest YouTube tutorial. I was about to put down my phone when another video appeared in my recommendations. Its title caught my attention, so I opened it.
Lo and behold, the video discussed the same protein I had just added to my assignment. The timing amazed me, and I decided to share it with friends on Facebook.
My husband, who had more experience with YouTube, advised me at the time that YouTube links were not always presented effectively on Facebook. He suggested placing the video in a blog post and then sharing the blog. I followed his advice—and that is how this post began.
Coincidence, Recommendation or an Ordered Step?
Online recommendations can be influenced by search activity, viewing history and platform algorithms. I cannot use the timing alone to prove that the video appeared through supernatural direction.
Yet the experience felt personally significant. I had encountered the laminin image, included it in my assignment and then found a video addressing the same subject the next morning. Within my devotional life, the sequence reminded me that the Lord can order our steps and use ordinary moments to draw our attention towards something worth examining.
I do not have to choose between spiritual wonder and careful investigation. I can thank God for a meaningful moment while still checking the science, acknowledging how recommendation systems work and avoiding claims that the evidence cannot support.
Sharing Peacefully and Respecting Free Will
I hoped others would feel some of the awe and amazement I experienced. At the same time, faith should be shared peacefully rather than forcefully. If God allows human beings to make real choices, then I must respect the freedom of people who do not believe or who interpret the discovery differently.
Matthew 5:45 reminds me that God gives sunlight and rain to the just and unjust alike. His generosity towards humanity calls me to communicate with humility, patience and love.
In Christ All Things Hold Together
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16–17 declares Christ’s supremacy over creation: all things were created through Him and for Him, and in Him all things hold together. The passage does not identify laminin or predict its molecular appearance. Its claim is much larger—it speaks of Christ as prior to, sovereign over and sustaining all creation.
For me, learning about a protein involved in tissue structure created a memorable devotional picture of that truth. Laminin is not proof of Christianity, and Christ is not merely a biological adhesive. Rather, the scientific discovery became an occasion to marvel at the order within creation and to remember the One in whom my faith says all creation finds its coherence.
The deepest treasure is not that one biological molecule can be drawn in a cross-like form. It is that honest investigation can lead to deeper wonder without requiring exaggeration. Laminin helped me think about structure and cohesion; Colossians directed my attention beyond the molecule to Christ, in whom all things hold together.
Questions for Further Reflection
- What made the timing of the image, assignment and video feel personally significant?
- How can I distinguish the scientific facts about laminin from my devotional interpretation?
- Does recognising a possible algorithmic explanation remove the spiritual value of the experience?
- How can discoveries in nature inspire worship without being overstated as proof?
- What does Colossians mean when it says that all things hold together in Christ?
- How can I share what I believe while respecting another person’s freedom?
References
- Psalm 37:23 — steps ordered or established by the Lord.
- Matthew 5:43–45 — loving others and God’s generosity through sun and rain.
- Colossians 1:15–17 — Christ’s supremacy over creation and all things holding together in Him.
- NCBI Gene: LAMA2 — official information about a human laminin alpha-chain gene and laminin’s extracellular role.
- Structures and Dynamic Motion of Laminin-1 as Observed by Atomic Force Microscopy — research on laminin’s cruciform appearance and flexible movement.
- Laminin video shared in this post — the video that appeared after the university assignment.
Stay blessed, and God be with you.
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