The POWER of Your hands

What if someone were to create a YouTube video on your hands? What if someone wanted to tell your story based on the life of your hands?

What would we see?

Like all of us, the story would begin with the shot of an infant’s fist, followed by a close-up of your tiny hand wrapped tightly around your mommy’s finger. Then what?

I would look through the photos in an old album your mother saved, and crop a picture showing your hand hanging on to a chair as you learned to walk. I might showcase your hand wearing a wedding ring, your hands doctoring a cut on your own child’s hand, your hands preparing a meal, pushing the vacuum cleaner, helping your aging parents, holding out a treat for your furry friend.

For sure, I would need a Christmas snapshot, with you handing a gift to a loved one – hands giving instead of taking.

In your case, I would have to show your hands strumming the dulcimer, fingerpicking the strings, hammering out a tune. My own video would include hands playing the organ at church, teaching a child to play the piano, strumming a guitar at church, learning to play the ukulele, playing for an audience at the Butterfly Palace in Branson.

But all of these would simply showcase the STORY of your hands, your life.

But know this. Your hands have power as well.

Your hands have the power to heal, the power to calm, when you pick up your instrument and play the first notes.

Music is actually one of the best forms of therapy.

It helps to lower anxiety or reduce depression. It’s used in dentist’s offices and in operating rooms. It’s been shown to reduce pain, and even have a positive effect on the symptoms of stroke and dementia.

Oh, the power of our hands. Our hands have the power to bring joy, bring memories back of the good ole' days, the power to set toes a tappin’, and the power to get people out of their chairs and moving. Your hands have the power to lead people to worship, to set the tone during a time of prayer. Your hands can participate in the joy at a wedding or comfort the mourners at a funeral.

Let’s manage our time so that, with practice, our hands will become instruments of grace. Never ever underestimate the power of your hands to do good in this troubled world.