Take a minute to look at your hands. What do you see? You might notice wrinkles or creases. Maybe you see a scar from an old injury. Our hands tell a story. Our hands are useful. From the moment we wake up to when we lie down at night our hands are busy. Busy hands to keep up with a busy world. The worlds pace is running around and filling our schedules with as much as we possibly can. Most of it is good things, but still we do way to much! We can only go at this pace for so long! My hands are tired. Aren't yours? When I look at my hands I think of creation. Our hands are god's tools. After all didn't he give them to us? We do almost everything with our hands. We touch, feel and move things. Hands can bend to pick up toys, make dinner or pat someone on the back. So many of us have phones now to occupy our hands and time and opportunity just tick on by. What if we were told we could only use our hands for 10 things today? Could we do it? What would you do? I would think you would make them count.
How many touches during the day are meaningful and connecting?
Our hands tell a story of whose lives we have touched, how we live and what we do with our time. Look at your hands again. How do they look now? Are they creased with experience? Wrinkly and worn out with good deeds? Sore and cramped from video games and texting? Mine are dry and cracking because of the fall chilly air!
Have you heard about being intentional with your thoughts? What if you were intentional with your hands? Being intentional to me is bringing your mind and body to function as one. You act and focus on that act, and only that act, in that moment.
If we see our hands as the Saviors tools; it would change what we do everyday. It would matter what we held inside our hands or touched with our hands. We would labor with our hands with charity and discipleship. We would soften a hand clenched in anger or find more moments to clasp them together in prayer and supplication.
If we to look at the Saviors hand we would see what he has done for us. We would see the sign of where the nails had been in his hands and his feet. We would see his ministry and how he healed the sick and afflicted. We must make our hands become like his. I love the song His hands by Kenneth Cope
his hands
tools of creation
stronger than nations
power without end
and yet through them we find our truest friend
his hands
sermons of kindness
healing men's blindness
halting years of pain
children waiting to be held again
tools of creation
stronger than nations
power without end
and yet through them we find our truest friend
his hands
sermons of kindness
healing men's blindness
halting years of pain
children waiting to be held again
his hands would serve his whole life through
showing man what hands might do
giving, ever giving, endlessly
each day was filled with selflessness
and I'll not rest until i make of my hands what they could be
'til these hands become like those from Galilee
his hands
lifting a leper
warming a beggar
calling back the dead
breaking bread, five thousand fed
his hands
hushing contention
pointing to heaven
ever free of sin
then bidding man to follow him
his hands would serve his whole life through
showing man what hands might do
giving, ever giving, endlessly
each day was filled with selflessness
and I'll not rest until i make of my hands what they could be
'til these hands become like those from Galilee
his hands
clasped in agony
as he lay pleading, bleeding in the garden
while just moments away
other hands betray him
out of greed, shameful greed
and then his hands
are trembling
straining to carry the beam that they'll be nailed to
as he stumbles through the streets
heading for the hill on which he'd die
he would die
they take his hands, his mighty hands, those gentle hands
and then they pierce them, they pierce them
he lets them, because of love
from birth to death was selflessness
and clearly now Isee him with his hands
calling to me
and though I'm not yet as I would be
he has shown me how i could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
showing man what hands might do
giving, ever giving, endlessly
each day was filled with selflessness
and I'll not rest until i make of my hands what they could be
'til these hands become like those from Galilee
his hands
lifting a leper
warming a beggar
calling back the dead
breaking bread, five thousand fed
his hands
hushing contention
pointing to heaven
ever free of sin
then bidding man to follow him
his hands would serve his whole life through
showing man what hands might do
giving, ever giving, endlessly
each day was filled with selflessness
and I'll not rest until i make of my hands what they could be
'til these hands become like those from Galilee
his hands
clasped in agony
as he lay pleading, bleeding in the garden
while just moments away
other hands betray him
out of greed, shameful greed
and then his hands
are trembling
straining to carry the beam that they'll be nailed to
as he stumbles through the streets
heading for the hill on which he'd die
he would die
they take his hands, his mighty hands, those gentle hands
and then they pierce them, they pierce them
he lets them, because of love
from birth to death was selflessness
and clearly now Isee him with his hands
calling to me
and though I'm not yet as I would be
he has shown me how i could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
We have all heard of hands free sets or may use them so we can talk on the phone and drive right? We should create more moments for our hands to be free to do God's will. We could use them to develop our talents or hug a pencil to write a thoughtful letter. We are in a day and time when text messages are easier than writing a letter. We are so busy texting and playing on social media that we miss the messages from heaven. I would like to think that God thinks about me and would send little texts if he could. When you stop and think about it, he does send them just not over the phone. They are quiet promptings and feelings. Put yourself in a "hands free" mode and focus on his will and what really matters. We can be ready to serve and to dig into more enjoyable, meaningful times with your family. Put down your phone or controller. Instead put your hands on something or someone that needs you!
clearly now I see him with his hands
calling to me
and though I'm not yet as I would be
he has shown me how i could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
calling to me
and though I'm not yet as I would be
he has shown me how i could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
Let's grasp what really matters and hold on tight!
What will you choose to do with your hands?
