First Hand

I decided to try my hand at blogging, now that there is time during the day to write a few things on my mind. We are, I’m not sure how many, weeks into the Covid-19 pandemic. What a frightening time it is, numbers climbing in the news of those sick, and those who have died. I never thought that we would see this in our lifetime, as previous generations before us thought when in war, other pandemics, or crises took place. Stores and schools are closed, people are asked to wear masks, and we’re only to go out to get groceries or prescriptions at the pharmacy. We are doing, what they refer as ‘sheltering in place’. Worry floods our minds, if we let it, and our once productive, busy hands sometimes find themselves wringing themselves because that’s how fear affects them. However, it is also Holy Week! As we think back to that week over 2000 years ago, it would have been yesterday that Jesus humbly came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey while people cheered to Him, believing he was the King that came to save them. Their hands weren’t wringing themselves, their hands held palms, pieces of fabric, or anything that they could wave in the air to proclaim cheerfully and gratefully to this man. The day might have been sunny, like today, maybe even Spring like.

As I look out my window right now, I see my neighbor, an older woman, who is a widow. Her home is occupied by only herself – must be lonely in these days of social distancing. She is taking advantage of the sunshine, and is working in her yard. In her hands right now are a hose and a scrub brush that she is using to scrub a yard ornament that is an angel. That cement angel is about 3 feet high, with her hands outstretched maybe like those people on the side of the road when Jesus came riding into town. Now, Dorothy is bent over, using her hands to tend to the beautiful flowers that line the back of her house. They’re brilliant colors, red, purple, white, lavender… they’ve peeked their heads up gradually, and now their full blooms are reaching skyward, almost as if they know they are to raise their hands and face to the sun.

Yes, that’s what we’re to do today, we are to raise our faces and hands to the sun, and to the Son of God, in spite of what is going on in the world, our country, in our small towns, and even in our families today. Our hands are raised because we know that ultimately it is He, who will see us through this time. It is He who battles and conquers the fear deep within us. It is He that will fill us with his peace, cease our hands from wringing, and cause us to raise our hands in praise to Him. He wants to hold our hands in His.

So, just for today, I choose to let the sun, and Son, shine in and through my face, voice, and hands, to others that I may be in touch with in my home, phone, or computer. That’s the way encouragement works… through us, we can make others feel unafraid, cared for, and loved by handing it off one by one. Blessings!