Our Hands Tell a Story

He placed His compassionate, healing hands upon the sick, the lame, the deaf, and the blind. So great were His works that even the skeptical and scornful crowd in Nazareth cried out, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, that such miracles as these are performed by His hands?”  Mark 6:2

Our hands tell a story. Soft gentle hands, calloused hands, and red, work-worn hands—our hands speak volumes. Each person’s hands bring to mind a very different story or account of one’s own personal life.

At Crossroads Pregnancy Center, our client’s hands tell their own personal story. One such story is that of a young mother who had been contemplating an abortion until she was offered the opportunity to have an ultrasound. She came from the examination room holding in her trembling hands a picture of the new life growing within her. With hands shaking from excitement, she pointed to the tiniest dot barely seen with the naked eye and told me with such joy, “That’s my baby!”

And I think of the nervous, trembling hands of a young mother, whose infant baby had passed away a few weeks after being born. She called and wanted to come into the office to share the precious  life of her baby with me. So slowly those gentle, loving hands opened the gift box given to her that held pictures, a baby blanket, and other items near and dear to her, priceless remembrances of her baby.

Another mother-to-be came in for her class session and at the end of the session, I asked her if I could close in prayer. She rose from her seat and went across the room and pulled a smaller chair over to mine and taking my hands into her gentle, anxious hands, we began to pray.

Jesus’ hands said something about him, too-dry and tanned, they were hands calloused from carpentry work or perhaps from helping his fishermen friends pull in their nets. One thing we do know for sure, the hands of Jesus were nail-pierced hands. These hands tell the story of his great love for us. These are the very hands we share with our clients.

We are Jesus’ ambassadors to others here on this earth.  We have the opportunity to be hands of compassion or the hands in which show rejection! What story will your hands tell to the world that is so desperately in need of help?

 Written by: Bonnie Ritchey, Client Service Manager