Hands

I noticed recently that when I take photographs of people engaged in something, I tend to zoom in on their hands. Out of my 20 favourite holiday pictures (Click here : Lasting Glances, Sept 3), 6 or 7 of them show hands: a handful of plump blueberries, a handful of trail mix with a finger pointing to the last red Smartie, a hand with a Timmy’s turkey club, one holding a slippery walleye, hands tying flagging tape, preparing breakfast… I love capturing the detail of what the hands are doing.

Hands, in general, hold intrinsic appeal for me. They are an intimate but visible extension of a person. When observing someone, they may avert their eyes, but rarely will they hide their hands. Very few people are self conscious about their hands and there’s something open and honest about that. I love catching a glimpse of hands that look like my Dad’s tanned, calloused, work hands. And I love catching a glimpse of my mom’s lovely fluid penmanship in notes and recipes received from others. I have one friend who has real worker's hands, but they can tackle ANY task she sets her mind to, which makes them capable and beautiful. I have another friend with very graceful hands, and it's even lovely to watch her slide a Ziploc bag shut!

When I think about God, I imagine His hands…moving, orchestrating, never still. I don’t have a mental image of a face but always hands: creating, healing, feeding, welcoming, embracing, washing feet, sheltering…
We are created in God’s image. As created and creative beings, our own hands are a powerful extension of God in us. Every pair of hands has the potential to be used by God and do His work here: to make a meal for someone, to embrace a hurting heart, to clean up a mess they didn’t make, to make a simple repair, to pen words of encouragement, to drive to an appointment, to pull weeds, to deliver flyers, to bake, to pour coffee, and sometimes to sit folded on a lap while listening, or folded in prayer.

We use our hands to do these things not out of guilt, but as a response of gratitude. We respond when our hearts are moved by a need we see. So often these are small things for us. They are things we naturally enjoy doing. It is as simple as picking up the phone when someone pops into your mind. Maybe it involves bringing some muffins to someone because you thought of them while you were baking. It’s a matter of learning to listen to the subtle nudges of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we see the need and we respond. Sometimes we don't see the need because we are preoccupied with something else. Sometimes we say, "No, I don't want to". And sometimes we are the recipient because someone else responded to the Spirit moving their heart. That’s such a cool feeling!!

This is me with a mouthful of berries.

God can manifest His presence in miraculous and grand ways, but most often He chooses to move softly and almost silently by His Spirit, through those who seek to be His hands. People willing to bring a little bit of shalom to someone else’s chaos. His Kingdom coming one small act of Grace at a time.

I originally wrote this for the October issue of our church newsletter, "Happenings".

Joyful Reunion

I'm so excited!

I just found a CD I've been missing for 2 or 3 weeks.  Need To Breathe-"Heat"  I took it out of our church library during the summer and when I wanted to play it, I discovered that the CD case was empty.   Did I lose it or was the case already empty when I borrowed it?    Why wouldn't I have played the CD right away?   I lost a CD and it wasn't even mine! 

I found it.   In a place I wouldn't have looked for it.  It was in a case with another CD. (U2-"No Line On the Horizon".)  It illustrates how quickly time passes and how far in the past my holidays have receded, which seems like AGES ago!  The CD has traveled to Ottawa and home again, and then to Thunderbay and home again.  It illustrates how absentminded I can be when I'm on my way to do one thing and get interupted and put thing one on hold, and then never resume the task when thing two is completed.  

Listening to it was like having a visit with a long absent friend.   Really.   It's part of the soundtrack of my life and brings back the memories and adventures that happened during that listening period.    Good, good times.   As my adoring public, I know you would want to know.   You were so supportive when I couldn't find my favourite sweater(in February!!), and celebrated appropriately when it turned up.  Party on, people!

Life is all about the little things.   I love celebrating the fun little things: getting snail mail, having coffee with a friend, finding a long lost CD, reuniting two socks from the single sock basket,  and then posting it here...because I know my lads won't find it nearly as exciting as you did.   And it affirms other people in their absentmindedness that they're not alone....

So, Jannette, I found it...and I  KNOW you would come to said party!

Here's The Thing....

Please....don't be too impressed by the fact that I run.    If I defined what my "running" actually is....and why I run????  You'd move right along.

I turned 40 once.   If it can happen to me, it can happen to you. Maybe it already happened to you. My Mom told me a long time ago that my metabolism would slow down when I turned 40.   Truer words were never spoken.    I was faced with a dilemma.  Stop eating chips OR start an exercise program.

The people who live here don't really go to the gym, unless they have a free membership. At our house, the exercise program is called "Ray's gym": You put on your runners and get out there.   BUT I can't run...(perhaps you correctly detect a bit of a whine in there....)  

And then I discovered "Couch to 5K in 8weeks".    The Couch was my starting point...that's where I eat chips.    5K didn't sound like a marathon.   And 8 weeks sounded like something I could stick to...it's not going take forever.   It didn't TAKE forever, but neither did it LAST forever.     I had to take some time off because I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder.    I stayed off.    And kept eating chips.

I was faced with the same dilemma: Stop eating chips or start running again.    A friend of mine announced that he was running 4K per day.   I was so impressed!!!!  And I was moved to start running again.    That was two weeks ago.    Today, I'm running 3's and 1's.   Run 3 minutes, and walk 1 minute....for 20 minutes...and in my case 3K.     In the grand scheme of things...that's REALLY slow. 

The important thing is....I can eat chips again!

Just Breathe

The other day I read a blog post somewhere about the unconscious activity of breathing.   Tampering with such a  natural process, and becoming conscious of it, can wreak havoc.    I was thinking of this the other day when I was running.    I use rhythmic breathing when I run...it helps to stave of the panic that I will run out of breath.   4 counts in, and 4 counts out, 4 counts in, 4 counts out.....and although my body screams for air, I stick to the rhythm knowing that I will quiet the scream with the next breath.   You can focus on the rhythm or you can focus on the panic.   

I cannot hold my breath and run.  I can possibly walk, and maybe do some work, but I can't run. Life is just like that. When I hold my breath, do I do that consciously or unconsciously?   How can the Spirit breathe into me when I'm holding my breath?  How can He move through me, when I'm not moving?  Some days I'm are stuck.  It happens.  You're waiting for something to come to pass.  You can't hear your song over the chaos.

When the situation in front of you has you contemplating your next breath, you know it's time to focus on something else.    And then I read "Trust Me and refuse to worry...for I am your Strength and Song."  Even on a tough day...you have to keep breathing.    The Song will come back, He never left!!  You just have to adjust your focus, in my case...that would be the eyes of my heart.   

If you are a praying people, now would be good!

This is where I run...

And then on my way home from an errand....this song comes on.    

I Don't Juggle Well

I had planned to write a brilliant post about rediscovering some favourite CD's for "On the TurnTable Today"....but ....

Instead,   I have had the most incredible case dropping things today.     First, I was on my way into the house, juggling my water bottle, keys and purse in one hand.   Somehow I ended up clutching just the lid of my  Nalgene bottle while the contents spilled into my purse.    Nice.

Then...a short while later....I took a mug of soup out of the fridge, bumped it on the open door of the microwave and it fell...inexplicably....and splatted half inside the microwave and half underneath.     I don't think I could have spilled more spectacularly....seriously! 

(Right now I'm listening to Gino...I can't even remember the other 4 discs.)

My Beautiful Square

I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea that I am unhappy living where I am.    The sheer volume of blog posts on Wabakimi might lead you to believe this...but like a sponge soaks everything up...it also needs to be wrung out from time to time so it can continue to function properly.  I'm all squeezed out now ;)

There is so much beauty in the everyday things around us, if we only look.    Sometimes we are looking down, focusing intently on something right in front of us...a task, a problem, a burden, and we can easily forget to look up.    And there it is...even when the extent of your sky is the little square above you....dramatic beauty presents itself everyday. When a cloud moves in front of the sun, the light still shines powerfully.  Isn't life just like that too?

Ray and I were staining the garage when these clouds moved in front of the sun.  We always seem to leave that task for the fall and then we run into the overnight temperatures being too cold for the stain to dry properly.  It usually ends up taking quite a while, but there's only one wall left to do....the side with the peak.

Occasionally we find ourselves on the road.  On Sunday we went to Chatham and had a great time visiting with Ray's family.  The Monarchs and friends were doing their thing. 

On Monday we headed out to Toronto to take in a Blue Jays game at Rogers Centre.   A good time was had by all... most of the time!   The roof was retracted half way through the game giving us a clear view of the CN Tower. The Jays beat the Rangers and Joe entertained us all the way back up to Yorkdale station by doing chinups and such on the subway...it's how he maintains his lean physique. Craig...was mortified and sat with a different family.




Today is their first day of sharing a 45 minute bus ride to school and back home again,  everyday for the rest of the school year.    With yesterdays prelude, I'm wondering how that's going right about now.

Lasting Glances

I could write a blog post about the memories that each one of these pictures represents:my Dad's hanky, the last red Smartie, Jerry's SPOT, the frog and my Holeys, Timmy's turkey club, the flag and seeing the "true North strong and free"....

I decided it's okay to have 22 pictures in my Top 10.   It was just that kind of trip.  The best part? Hands down.... going with my best friend and sharing all the initial excitement and moments first hand!  It was amazing in so many ways, but it's time to put 'er to bed.

Maybe someday, you and I might find ourselves in front of a computer screen together and I'll tell you every single story.

Thanks for coming along!!!!   Over and out...for now.