His Hands, His Feet

What if God had no hands but our hands and no feet but our feet?

There is a poem written by Annie Johnson Flint that says:

Christ has no hands but our hands
To do His work today.
He has no feet but our feet
To lead men in His way.
He has no tongue but our tongue
To tell men how He died.
He has no help but our help
To bring them to His side
We are the only Bible
The careless world will read.
We are the sinner's Gospel.
We are the scoffers creed.
We are the Lord's last message
Written in deed and word--
We are the only sermon
That some have ever heard.

This poem is sobering.

When our family came to Ozarklandia, it was my hope and dream that our family would be a blessing to the area. Although this hope was fulfilled in part, it was also greatly frustrated.

If Christ were to use my hands and feet fully, there would be great differences in my life. Unfortunately, He has not always had full use of me.

But if He did, and if He had full use of my immediate family, then here are some places He would go.

Christ would walk the halls of a major Fortune 500 Company in Ozarklandia. He would be in the midst of the lawyers and with those who had business and legal problems. He would he helping to employ people.

Christ might once again teach in the Synagogues or even in churches on the Sabbath.

Christ might even be writing a blog.

Christ might be ministering to women at the country club-but also to those unable to afford country clubs. Christ might be at Curves and Walking through Walmart. Christ might be again at the stables and at Karate lessons. The feet of Christ would be all over Ozarklandia. Christ would still be a guest at restaurants, leaving big tips for the waiters and waitresses.

Christ would be in the school system of Ozarklandia. He would be hidden in a young lady taking courses. He would find himself in a girl handicapped by neural brain passage ways damaged at birth-but still with high intelligent, true insight and that wonderful and valuable characteristic called "True Grit."

Christ would be in the medical community with our other daughter. He would be taking care of the sick and the dying.

He would be on the internet.

Christ would be a leader in the schools of Nolandia. Christ would be with a drama group. He would be with the "in" crowd but also with the "out" crowd.

Christ would be finding jobs for the helpless and the poor. He would be picking them up and even taking them to work, as He sometimes does. Christ would find himself handicapped but would transcend those handcaps. He would find Himself with an arm loosing its power, but even as it lost its physical power, it would have power to extend itself and heal. Christ would be all over NoLandia.

Christ would find himself serving our country in the Military. He would find himself far away from the home of his birth. He would find himself with other men serving his country. He would be ministering to men, as He always has, listening to their problems, giving them advice but giving them something even more valuable , hope. He would be bringing delight to them through his insights and wit.

Men in the military have always been close to the heart of Christ. They are around Him and the work of God at numerous times through history. They include the Centurion that had great faith and the Centurion that was the first Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit. They include whole legions that gave their lives to Christ and some legions that even died as a group for Christ. They include some knights from the middle ages. They include General Booth who founded the Salvation Army, the reknown Gordon (Chinese Gordon) who died at Khartoum down to today's soldiers and even General Westmoreland. Yes, Christ walks in the military.

Christ would be a member of the deaf/hearing impaired community. He would be hearing with the sensitivity of the heart. He would be extending His hands to those in that Community. He would be proving that a physical impairment is not an impairment of the heart. He would be at one with those who are physically challenged. He would be an overcomer. He would maintain a great sense of humor that comes from seeing things in new and innovative ways. His Hands would create art that blesses, and art that is beautiful. Christ would be extending a hand to other women in need.

Christ would be in prison, with men who have killed and done other terrible crimes. He would be with lifers. He would be ministering to the needs of those men. He would be bringing hope to those who had no hope. He would be bringing a word of peace and healing to an unpeaceful place. He would be telling them that though they can imprison the body, they can not imprison the soul. Christ would still see these people as people-not as lepers or criminals but as people. He would be making peace where He could make peace. Christ would be a bright tree of life would grow in that prison that would bring healing to many and that would change many lives. He would show mercy to those who have not received mercy and compassion to those who have neither received nor have given compassion.

If Christ works through our hands and walks through our feet, then His hands and feet are all over this community . His feet are walking down some interesting paths.

God, after all this time, my prayer is the same as it was in the beginning. That we would bless this community and any community where we are. We will pray for it. We/Our Family will walk where you would have us to walk, and do what you would have us to do.

That path has not been an easy one. There have been disappointments and terrible sorrows. But Our God is the "Man of Sorrows." He is the One who took our sin and our pain, and it scarred him. We also have have our scars.

Our family is one with the handicapped. Three of us are physically handicapped in some way ot the other. We are one with the person in the hospital. We are one with the person going through litigation. We are one with those who have been discriminated against. We are one with the military man, with the artists, and with the writers. We are one with the prisoner and the person with out hope.

Christ is in us, and in our household, and our family.

Christ is walking around. He is loose in the hospitals and prisons.

He is working through our imperfections.

We know that we are not the only ones. However, it is my prayer that Christ's hands would work through the hands of myself and my family.

HarleyDad