hands, more or less?

Hands. Have you ever wondered why we have two? We wouldn't get through the day the same without them. Without those fingers typing, tying, pushing, holding, without our palms lifting, carrying, patting, pressing.

Now that the holidays are here, my hands have been in full force--Knitting, baking, stirring, wrapping. Simple tasks but without hands--open hands--impossible. And isn't it strange to think that the very things that create, that bring life and share love can also bring destruction? The same palm that hugs can hit. The same fingers that write words of affection can type words of poison. The same hand that reaches out to welcome can be folded in arms of frustration. The same hand that opens to His gifts can fist up against them.

And why just two? Wouldn't four be better for navigating airports or ordering coffee for a group? Couldn't Ashley or my mom use six or eight as they hold, pat, play, read to get through the day with three under age five? Perhaps if we had more we could be more.

But that's just it. Maybe, as is always the case, God gave us two on purpose. Because if we had more we wouldn't be inclined to reach out. We wouldn't need to ask for help. We wouldn't have to put down one thing in order to pick up another. We could have it all and do it all, but perhaps God did not intend for us to have it all and do it all with our own hands. Perhaps He meant for us to corral more fingers, find more open palms as we reach for His. Perhaps, as we stretch our palms, extend our fingers, open our hands, we can point to the hands that were always open for us--even to nails on a cross.

xoxo.