{"id":3269,"date":"2020-04-28T16:35:33","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T06:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3269"},"modified":"2020-04-28T16:35:33","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T06:35:33","slug":"consider-your-hands-28-04-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=3269","title":{"rendered":"Consider your hands 28-04-2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Consider your hands.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

healing pain and sickness, blessing children small,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

washing tired feet, and saving those who fall:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all.\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

(Margaret Beatrice Cropper, 1886-1980)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Some of us know that children\u2019s hymn quite well.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hands.\u00a0 <\/span>We take them for granted, as we do many things.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Consider Jesus, and his hands.\u00a0 <\/span>He used them to bless, to heal, to lift up\u2026and to destroy (think of the overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What about our own hands?\u00a0 <\/span>Take a moment to look at them, to feel them.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Every hand is different, because our hands reflect something of our lives and the activities we are involved in.\u00a0 <\/span>Perhaps they are as individual as our fingerprints.\u00a0 <\/span>Sometimes they are an indicator of our physical health, perhaps sporting the bumps and clench of arthritis.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The rough hands of builders, hobbyists, or of gardeners. \u00a0 <\/span>The reddened hands due to washing dishes, clothes, or scrubbing floors.\u00a0 <\/span>The hands that are soft-often when one is elderly and no longer able to use them for particular activities (smooth hands used to be a sign of nobility, of a high status!)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What about your own hands?\u00a0 <\/span>If they could talk, what would they say?\u00a0 <\/span>They may speak of construction work-maybe they were part of a project that built a bridge!\u00a0 <\/span>Or of the many times they soothed the hot forehead of a loved one, picked up a crying infant, comforted a grieving friend, or carried the shopping bags for one who was struggling.\u00a0 <\/span>Think of the supermarket: your hands have cradled God\u2019s produce in the fresh food section, perhaps grabbed a tin for someone who could not reach the high shelf, fumbled with coinage and been reminded of the necessity of money, watched the hands of the check out operator as they scanned and packed your groceries.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My hands would say that they could not build Lego models very well, and assembling Ikea products were beyond them, but they have kneaded some delicious loaves of bread over the years!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Our hands have also been involved in ministry, we \u2018lend a hand\u2019: writing cheques for charities, cards and notes to cheer up folk, or to let them know they are in your prayers when they are sick or grieving.\u00a0 <\/span>They have helped in practical ways, doing jobs for those unable to anymore, preparing food for the sick, driving people to appointments etc.\u00a0 <\/span>Hands have been used to spread the good news via the writing and sending of Christmas cards.\u00a0 <\/span>We clap our hands after a concert or performance, encouraging the performers.\u00a0 <\/span>How many of you wear a wedding ring, which tells the world that you belong to a very special person?\u00a0 <\/span>Hands are often folded in prayer, hold open Bibles (and other books), teach young children how to tie bows (my Nana\u2019s hands taught me!), and gently cuddle newborn babies.\u00a0 <\/span>As I sit at the computer writing this, I stop and pat Harry our dog, who is resting at my feet.\u00a0 <\/span>Aren\u2019t hands wonderful?\u00a0 <\/span>They can grasp mountains, sift sand, be drenched by oceans, prune roses, stroke cats\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I know as we get older they wrinkle and age-but think of all they have done!\u00a0 <\/span>And at the end, our hands will stretch out to grasp the hands of Jesus, who will lead us to our final resting place, our Heavenly Home.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Lord, for our hands, another precious gift from you.\u00a0 <\/span>May we use them to praise you and to help others.\u00a0 <\/span>Amen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Barbara Allen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Consider your hands. \u2018Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all, healing pain and sickness, blessing children small, washing tired feet, and saving those who fall: Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all.\u2019 (Margaret Beatrice Cropper, 1886-1980) Some of us know that children\u2019s hymn quite well. Hands.\u00a0 We take them for granted, as we do many things. Consider Jesus, and his hands.\u00a0 He used them to bless, to heal, to lift up\u2026and to destroy (think of the overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple). What about our own hands?\u00a0 Take a moment to look at them, to feel them. Every hand is different, because our hands reflect something of our lives and the activities we are involved in.\u00a0 Perhaps they are as individual as our fingerprints.\u00a0 Sometimes they are an indicator of our physical health, perhaps sporting the bumps and clench of arthritis. The rough hands of builders, hobbyists, or of gardeners. \u00a0 The reddened hands due to washing dishes, clothes, or scrubbing floors.\u00a0 The hands that are soft-often when one is elderly and no longer able to use them for particular activities (smooth hands used to be a sign of nobility, of a high status!) What about your own hands?\u00a0 If they could talk, what would they say?\u00a0 They may speak of construction work-maybe they were part of a project that built a bridge!\u00a0 Or of the many times they soothed the hot forehead of a loved one, picked up a crying infant, comforted a grieving friend, or carried the shopping bags for one who was struggling.\u00a0 Think of the supermarket: your hands have cradled God\u2019s produce in the fresh food section, perhaps grabbed a tin for someone who could not reach the high shelf, fumbled with coinage and been reminded of the necessity of money, watched the hands of the check out operator as they scanned and packed your groceries. My hands would say that they could not build Lego models very well, and assembling Ikea products were beyond them, but they have kneaded some delicious loaves of bread over the years! Our hands have also been involved in ministry, we \u2018lend a hand\u2019: writing cheques for charities, cards and notes to cheer up folk, or to let them know they are in your prayers when they are sick or grieving.\u00a0 They have helped in practical ways, doing jobs for those unable to anymore, preparing food for the sick, driving people to appointments etc.\u00a0 Hands have been used to spread the good news via the writing and sending of Christmas cards.\u00a0 We clap our hands after a concert or performance, encouraging the performers.\u00a0 How many of you wear a wedding ring, which tells the world that you belong to a very special person?\u00a0 Hands are often folded in prayer, hold open Bibles (and other books), teach young children how to tie bows (my Nana\u2019s hands taught me!), and gently cuddle newborn babies.\u00a0 As I sit at the computer writing this, I stop and pat Harry our dog, who is resting at my feet.\u00a0 Aren\u2019t hands wonderful?\u00a0 They can grasp mountains, sift sand, be drenched by oceans, prune roses, stroke cats\u2026 I know as we get older they wrinkle and age-but think of all they have done!\u00a0 And at the end, our hands will stretch out to grasp the hands of Jesus, who will lead us to our final resting place, our Heavenly Home. Thank you, Lord, for our hands, another precious gift from you.\u00a0 May we use them to praise you and to help others.\u00a0 Amen Barbara Allen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Leighmoor.Master","author_link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/author\/leighmoor-master"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Other Posts<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Consider your hands. \u2018Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all, healing pain and sickness, blessing children small, washing tired feet, and saving those who fall: Jesus\u2019 hands were kind hands, doing good to all.\u2019 (Margaret Beatrice Cropper, 1886-1980) Some of us know that children\u2019s hymn quite well. Hands.\u00a0 We take them for granted,…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3270,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3269\/revisions\/3270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}