What Great Hands You Have!

Weekly Strength

August 27, 2010

It is not your ring size that determines the reach of your hands – but rather the size of your heart.

 

Ira Gillett, Methodist missionary, told of nationals needing medical attention in Mozambique. In securing care, they walked a long distance past a government hospital to come to the mission hospital for their treatment.

 You might wonder, “Why?” The same medicines were available at the government institution as at the mission hospital! When asked why they had walked the extra distance they replied, “The medicines may be the same, but the hands are different!” – Upper Room

 I believe it was the heart behind the hands that made the difference.

How are your hands?

How is your heart?

 

Thank you for making a difference in the lives you touch.

– Chaplain Robin

Life Lessons – Do you record what you learn?

American lawyer/prosecutor and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Gordon Dean’s life ended in an airline crash near Nantucket in 1958. His effects included nine life lessons scribbled on the back of an envelope. Here’s one third:

• Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.
• The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something -- almost anything – well.
• The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem from misunderstandings. So communicate.

Author of Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt, Harvey Mackay summing succinct wisdom primed my pump today: http://www.harveymackay.com/columns/column_this_week.cfm

• Pale ink is better than the most retentive memory.
• If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense in making them.
• There is a place in the world for anyone who says, "I'll take care of it" [with follow through].
• Failure is no more fatal than success is permanent.

While these teach, they encourage me to record my own life lessons.

Here’s one I wrote in the early 80’s:

• Real satisfaction is the direct result of doing things of eternal consequence. Things of temporal value betray my investment unless they are linked with things of ageless impact.

Let’s learn from our mistakes, follow through, using pale ink if necessary and link our actions with eternity!

– Chaplain Robin

WeAkly Strength

Weakly Strength

Magician David Blaine needed a breath after 17 minutes without oxygen and needed sustenance after 44 days without food. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnGhrC_3Gs.

However great my endurance or tenacity I do have limits.

Growing from dependence to independence into interdependence my limitations seem designed to heighten awareness that, while I can do a lot on my own, I really do need you. Even this article has other’s fingerprints. Yet we are not enough. While we are stronger than me, we are not sufficient.

My biased belief? Humans are intended to need their Designer.

John the Apostle witnesses, “Many other things Jesus did in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing, you might have life through his name.” John 20:30-31 [Jesus is incredible credible.] 

John records seven miracles accomplished by Jesus’ presence. Each one points to Jesus’ credibility as Master over yet another aspect of life here on earth.

When Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and two fish John 6:9, we can note his Mastery over Quantity. Many were hungry and he met the “we” need. When Jesus turned water to wine John 2:10, we can see his Mastery over Quality – it was fine wine! Many were thirsty and again he met the “we” need. What do we need?

Might miracles occur when we present ourselves to our Designer as needing Divine intervention?

Jesus and John knew what we may be learning – the challenges of life are useful in pointing us to know, trust & request help from and depend on the Designer.

– Chaplain Robin