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!