Good morning…
I recently met a poem that helps me to hold onto what is of utmost importance.
******
HOLDING by Phyllis Cole-Dai
The intelligence
of my five fingers
working together
to lace into
the intelligence
of yours—
all the computing
required of our brains.
AI: actual intelligence.
O, let us make our hands
instruments for good!
Catch what is falling.
High-five what’s real.
Rock the cradle.
Bind up what’s broken.
Say I love you in sign.
Read the future in lines
of poems born in
each other’s palms.
Steady the world’s step,
help it stay upright.
Hands over the heart,
bow and bow and bow
until they grow wrinkled, veiny,
knobby, spotted, and still
we bow because these hands
are still the hands of who we are
becoming in this life we’re braiding up.
Even when lost in the dark
of the woods, no clear path to follow,
we reach to each other as we stumble:
Here I am—take mine.
******
Together, we are braiding up the kingdom of God. In our last post, Embody This Reflection, we learned that each of us are created by God as caretakers for one another, for the Earth, and for all living things. Our hands are designed to be instruments used to bring about every ounce of the good our Creator envisions.
Revelation 21:5 (ICB) promises, The One who was sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.”
Our hands are created to partner with the healing power of our living LORD, yet another opposite, destructive force is fiercely at work in our world. Of this truth we are keenly aware.
Again and again, we must choose to yank our hand back from the clashing demands of the world, put our hand upon our heart, and remind ourselves, “This is what is truly important.”
Remember? In John 7:38 (ERV) Jesus promises, “If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from their heart.” When God aligns our hand with our surrendered heart, we are continually used for the LORD’s redeeming purposes.
That is why I remind you to use the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid. He gave us a spirit of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 6-7, ICB). Our world desperately needs this healing power.
Our daily prayer becomes, Oh Lord, please make our hands instruments for Your good!
…Sue…
