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Where are your hands?

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Where are your hands?
 
For as long as I can remember, music has been a big part of my life. The Lord works in mysterious ways and He has spoken to me through music a handful of times and invoked some spiritually stretching thoughts. I was listening to the radio the other day with my sister when the Alanis Morissette song “Hand in My Pocket” came on. If you don’t know who I’m talking about you should definitely go look her up, she is a legend from before our time. For those of you who aren’t familiar, I will give you a little run down about the song. Throughout the song she’s telling a story that can be interpreted as a young person dealing with life and reeling from emotions. She ends the verses with the line, “I’ve got one hand in my pocket and the other is..'' fill in the blank. 
 
A few months ago, after a call from the Lord, I started volunteering at Rushton’s Hope Ministry every other Friday. It’s a wonderful organization located in Griffin, Georgia. Their mission is “Meeting physical and spiritual needs wherever the Lord leads.” But I’ve come to the realization that even though what I’m doing is a good thing, it’s only a small portion of my life spent volunteering whereas being the hands and feet of Jesus is a 24 hour gig and I should be spending every day looking for ways to do just that. 
 
So as I was listening to this song I was playing the question over in my head, “Where are your hands?” We know that we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus but what does it really mean? We know that Jesus spent every second of His time on earth serving those around Him, so I think it is really quite simple. Jesus no longer walks with us but His love is forever alive in our hearts. 
 
Listening to that song was a big realization for me that I am never “off.” As long as my hands are busy, they need to be reaching others with the love of Jesus and for the Kingdom of God. I think it can be easy for us to get used to the mundane and we all need a fresh reminder sometimes. The day I heard that song was a good one for me. The Holy Spirit is going to meet you where you’re at and use you as long as your heart is prepared and your hands are ready to be used. 
 
Where are your hands?
Have you made yourself available to be the hands and feet of Jesus?
What can you do to better serve those around you? 
 
As I was doing some research for this blog, I found this quote. I really loved it and wanted to share it:
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours.”
-Teresa of Ávila
Posted by Emma Gossett with
in Faith

Not by Power Nor by Might

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      I’m going to throw it back to good ole days for a minute. I don’t know about you guys, but I was a dumb teenager. (I’m 22 now for the record.) Of course, you never had any moments in your teenage years when you did things you regret. (Let’s laugh together.) But seriously, I made mistakes. I hung out with friends that I shouldn’t have, did things I shouldn’t have done, and said things I shouldn’t have said. (Also for the record, like the rest of us, I still stumble and fail of course but teenage Emma was a different story.) I really struggled with how to deal with those failures. I was carrying the weight of my burdens around with me and that can really take a toll.

      We’ve all dealt with this to some extent whether big or small. Shame, guilt, and furthermore, inadequacy are some of the biggest hindrances I have seen in this life. Why is this? I believe it’s because there is a part of our human nature that strives for perfection. But at the same time, there is another part that believes when we mess up, our value is diminished. A few quick truths: There will never be a time in your life when you reach perfection. There will never be a time when you don’t mess up even if in a small way. You will deal with sin for the rest of your earthly life. You need Jesus’ grace to handle a problem like this.

      It can be so hard to wrap our small little stubborn minds around but grasp this: Jesus didn’t die on the cross because we deserved it. There is nothing in this life that we can do to earn the Love and Grace of Jesus. (See Zechariah 4:6.) We are all messed up. None of us is worthy . The good news is that Jesus carried every one of our burdens to the Cross that faithful day because He loves us.

      So dear friend, hold onto that today. If you are struggling with guilt just know you are not the first nor the last to fall short of the Glory of God. Just give it to Jesus. Don’t let the guilt of the past hold you back any longer. He is ready and waiting with open arms to help you carry that load.

Posted by Emma Gossett with

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