Hands have been of particular interest to me since the time that the Lord really got my attention and I rededicated my life to him in 1992. About that same time a song by Babbie Mason came to my attention, entitled Trust His Heart. The chorus lyrics are:
“God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
When you can’t understand, when you can’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand,
Trust His heart. “
Next weekend our church’s annual women’s inspirational weekend ministry event will be held and Babbie Mason is the guest speaker. I have been looking forward to it since I found out. About 10 years ago for this same annual weekend event I was one of the table hostesses, which entails setting a luncheon table with one’s own dinnerware and accessories. I used a hands and hearts theme then, spending hours and hours of time making appliqued place mats using a hand pattern created from my own hand. This year I am going to again be a table hostess and use the same hands and hearts theme.
As God would have it, I have also been preparing a study guide for a young adult small group to accompany a book that they will begin studying next week, as well. It is “Yours Are The Hands of Christ: The Practice of Faith”, by James C. Howell. The group was seeking a study on growing in service. I gave them several from which to choose a few months ago and this is the one they selected. There are twelve chapters, each focusing on an aspect of Christ’s hands and how they were employed during His earthly ministry: living hands, praying hands, unfurling hands, teaching hands, touching hands, healing hands, feeding hands, serving hands, holy hands, pierced hands, sending hands, joining hands.
While my task of reading and reflecting on this book was undertaken in the context of my role as adult Christian educator for our church, it has been a joy to contemplate Christ’s hands at the same time I was being reminded of the significance of His hands in my faith journey. I could add some additional aspects of Christ’s hands from my own experience: guiding hands, disciplining hands, comforting hands, revealing hands, giving hands, restraining hands, rewarding hands, and many others.
As I set my table next week and place the mats and other hand-themed accessories on it, I will be reflecting on His hands and will thank Him that He has allowed me to use my hands to serve Him.