"Handyman"

The final hands, the praying hands, the most difficult hands to make,

have been completed.

This has been a special week. I finished the last of the 9 hands needed to complete my present project. (I can hear you cheering...)

One of my artist friends walking by commented, “If your not careful Cliff, your going to become known as the “handyman” around here.” Chuckle chuckle.

As I’ve been moving through the creation of the hands I’ve been thinking about the many symbolic meanings hands actually seem to have. We have a lot of sayings like...

“All hands on deck.” meaning a group is to do something...

“The almighty hand of God” scary or fantastic depending...

“You’ve got to hand it to him” a compliment...

“She talks with her hands”...very expressive...maybe no talking is necessary!

“Hand-me-downs”

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”

“A left handed compliment”

“Tight fisted”

On and on we could go. I'm sure you are thinking of some...

Beyond that there are gestures. Some already alluded to in the list above. If you live with a closed fist it means something. If you live open handed it means something else.

The right hand and the left hand mean different things. Like the left hand is always something less. While the right hand symbolises power, rights, position like sitting at someone’s “right hand”. I read of a king who lost his right hand and the nation dethroned him. When his daughter made a silver hand for him to wear in the place of the missing hand, he was re-instated to his role as king.

I love the sensitive aspects of the hand and what the gestures represent, like a hand of friendship placed on someone’s shoulder. The Bible is full of references to the meanings of hands. Like the “laying on of hands” which means love, and the passing on of something from the leader, mentor, or from one person to another, such as a gifting, or a healing of the body. The 10 commandments were written by the “finger of God”. Esau’s hand was hairy and Jacobs was smooth is loaded with meaning. Jesus writing in the sand with his finger, causing the accusers to leave in silence. Pilot washing his hands before the crowd a symbol of not taking any responsibility in a decision he was forced to make by the crowd.

I love the symbol of the praying hands I just completed as you see above. Here we use both of our hands, united in purpose. Balanced in our approach to the creator giving him permission and freedom to move and act in the world around us, in the lives of people around us and in our own lives.

There is an ocean of meaning out there in the world of our hands. I am beginning to think I like being a “handyman”.

“You will make known to me the path of life;
Fullness of Happiness is in Your presence;
Pleasures are in Your right hand forever.”

 (Psalm 16:11)