Sunday, April 17, 2011
Hands
A new acquaintance recently said to me, "I look at people's hands first. This tells me all that I need to know." I got so excited. I took a breath to speak and tell her how much I could understand what she was saying. But she was not done. She continued,"If a person's hands are not clean and manicured, then one knows that they care little enough about their appearance and I would likely not be comfortable with them for very long." My mouth clamped shut as I quickly hid my hands from her view. But I feared that she had already seen my garden weary mitts. So I did not share with this person my feelings about hands. I too look at a person's hands first. Hands do speak volumes. But they tell a story, and I adore stories. My great grandmother Harmon and I were quite close. She was and still is my first real mentor. She and I used to sit together and watch people's hands and decipher from what we saw there, that person's story. If you play this game correctly, which Grandma always did, you can learn to have love and charity for a person without ever speaking to them. Noticing hands is still a habit for me. I realized this today, in a half a dozen situations where my reading of a person's hands gave me insight that I needed. As I sit here studying, I think of Christ's hands, the hands that paid such a price for me and for all of us. And I thought of how every one of our stories is written in His hands. And I wondered, for the billionth time in my life, how to repay Him for what He has done, just a small offering, since I can do little more. I turned again to scripture and was quickly led to Hebrews 12:12, "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees." Oh, okay, I get it. So now I will focus on reading hands to know what I can do or say to lift them, not judging, but assessing, and then doing. It is the least I can do with my hands.
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HI Cynthia, Danae linked your blog, so I am spying...this is very interesting, and I think you are right. There are many literary references to hands and what the appearance of one's hands means. Of Mice and Men and So Big immediately come to mind, but there are many others. I'm curious what you notice when you look at hands? I'm guessing you don't care whether nails and cuticles are neat and tidy.
ReplyDeleteSpy away! There are few people I would love to hear from more on my blog than you or your sisters! You are correct, neat cuticles and trimmed nails are pretty boring, so not what I am looking for. The first thing I look for is the coloring. Do these hands see the sun? The next thing I see are scars. Hands are usually the mist scarred part of a body. What a glimpse this gives into a person's story. Then, the nails and fingers, but not to judge, just to see their condition. The condition of the nails and the callouses on the fingers tell of a person's work, how much they write, right or left handed, nail biter, etc. Finally, I observe the hand habits. Do they twitch or are they still? How are they arranged or placed when at rest? I have even reached the point when I can determine if a student is in a place to learn or not, by their hands. You can also determine how much personal space a person requires by the way their hands respond to you. I know, I am whacked, but this system has served me well. But...I want to know about you. What are your hands up to these days?
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Now I'm going to go get a manicure before I see you at church on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteMy students used to challenge me to hold my hands behind my back while I taught. I couldn't do it. I could not speak to them without using my hands. These days, my hands are typing or picking weeds out between the rocks in my yard. (I think it is unjust that I have to do yard work when my yard is rocks!) My hands are getting sun (or age...) spots on them, and they are dry. Using lotion is an exercise in futility in AZ, between the pool and the dry air. My hands are surprisingly busy for a stay at home/work at home mama! My hands have also been sorting through stacks and stacks of old photos...ask my mom about that when she gets back to CO.
ReplyDeleteNo Mandy! Read what I just wrote to Tam. Manicured can be boring! Embrace your real hands! My hands are scarred, torn, and battle weary, and I love them. Often I will glance down at my hands and see my grandma or my dad or another loved one reflected there and I feel connected. Wait?! I get to see you on Sunday?! Finally!!
ReplyDeleteTam, I am the same way, I must use my hands, or I cannot speak. I am intrigued by the work with photos that you have been doing. I will, most definately, ask your mom what is up.
ReplyDelete"Don't judge a book by its cover." A person who cannot accept a person whose hands are not well manicured, cannot accept the Savior's pierced and scarred hands, is my guess. He still has those scars, you know.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY BB! That is my feeling as well. And those scarred hands are the hands whose embrace I most hunger for.
ReplyDelete