Hands have always been fascinating to me. They are capable of such a variety of employment, and composed of such amazing constructions of bone, tendon, and muscle. They are the things that make, do, and fashion either beauty and goodness or horror and madness. In both a physical and symbolic sense, hands are important. The Bible frequently refers to “the hand” as an agent of action (“I will stretch forth my hand…”). Hands in the Bible wield slingshots, glean barley, make tapestry and gold and all sorts of exquisite creation. Hands hold swords, are clapped for joy, are pierced by nails. In Proverbs 31, it is amazing how much the woman does with her hands. She works all kinds of creations out of wool, flax, silk, and purple. She plants, gathers, seeks, and in a more intangible sense, “stretches forth her hand to the poor.” Noticably absent are any skills with the more sexual aspects of her frame, although these are the skills our culture encourages us to cultivate as women.
You can tell a lot about a person by his hands. What he does for a living, if he’s married, whether he types a great deal. Or she. Hands hold much power, whether they wield chainsaws, machine guns, or pens.
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.”
About:
I recently graduated with an English B.A. and minor in Early Childhood Special Ed. Right now I’m trying to find a classroom of autistic children to teach. I still work as an ABA/VB (Applied Behavioral Analysis, Verbal Behavior) therapist with young children that have autism. I live at home with my nine younger siblings, including my 11 year old brother Matthew, who has autism. I like a lot of dweeby things, like reading, crochet/knitting, cooking, making pleasent rooms, and collecting items from other places, particularly China. My lifestyle permits little time for these things - usually I’m too busy with short people (in amazing quantities, considering I own none of them!). But that’s just as well. As long as I’m around people I can help, life is lovely.
I started this blog not so much to have people read what I write (I already have several very good feedbackers, although more is always welcome!) but to encourage me to write. Now, when I have an idea, I go this site and write about it, and the possibility of other people seeing it forces me to attempt presentability.
In short, I am trying to follow good writing advice and just do it.
your thoughts make me remember my time sitting in a manicurist’s station at the beginning of this month, sitting on the recieiving end of a lovely Valentine’s day gift from my husband. I was secretly indulging thoughts about what these other women, those around me getting their hair and makeup and eyebrows done there ( how could they afford all that??), did during the rest of their lives and feeling quite silly ( but fun) myself, getting my nails so nicely done up as I never, ever have taken time with them and for good reason~ this manicure will be lucky to last a full week, and I only give it more than 2 days because I am going on our very first ever 5 day trip sans kids, leaving the next afternoon.
I sat there, to my shame, suddenly feeling very small and thinking of how these women probably are always perfectly coiffed, while I am, most of the time, in a baby-stained t-shirt or tank top with hideously naked and ragged nails,no trace of makeup, and lucky- to- be- washed- at- all, hair. I felt all at once very transparent and almost blushed Lol
!
( yes, it was lovely!, thanks
But God~ isn’t He so kind, and in my case might I add, very patient?? ~ He was so kind to remind me of what is of true value in His heart, and as the images of mom’s and grandmom’s and babies and even our always-loud children’s ministry class times swam through my mind, I felt my shame and owned it, thanking God that I am not after all one of the ‘fancy women’ I had concocted in my mind. And they probably were not one of them, either. We women sure do, do a lot of work with our hands. And what lovely hands they are, for that very reason. We may be aliens in this world, just waiting to get on home, but thanks to various women’s hands I sure have been on the recieving end of much comfort during my time here. I also greatly appriciate the toils of a godly man’s hands, more than I could ever tell. What a great subject topic for a blog~
By: stacey on March 13, 2007
at 2:27 pm
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Stacey! I often feel this way myself. Working with kids often leaves your clothes in a used Kleenex state and as for manicures – well, they are nice, but the few I’ve had have difficulty holding up. They’re very pretty while they last though.
I sometimes wish I could dress up for work like most of my friends do, but God has blessed me so abundantly where I am. And there are advantages to being a little less…polished? Such as no need to mind when a short person wishes to fix your hair (because it’s not perfectly coiffed to begin with), or having marvellous excuses for that stain on your shirt. (Which, of course, is cotton, and will be back to starchy goodness after a trip through the washing machine.)
It was nice of your husband to give you such a nice gift, though –
By: sarai20 on April 25, 2007
at 5:36 am