Hands

I close my eyes and give my body into the hands of human men without too much thought, and hesitate to entrust myself entirely to the Hand of Immortal God.

Praying Hands of Christ (Durers Hands)

I recently had some very serious surgery.

During that surgery, for a period of eight hours, I was unconscious and in theatre.  During that time, three surgeons worked on my body.  During this surgery, they cut open my body, and looked inside it.  They diagnosed certain things and made decisions about what to do to repair those things.  Particular complex decisions were made in relation to my health and life and I was not privy to those decisions until after I awoke.

Though I had gone into that surgery expecting that there would be some intervention required to treat a particular condition, the extent of that intervention could only be determined when I woke up.  And, by then, it would be all too late to do anything about anything…

After I woke up from that surgery, I spent some time in intensive care.  During that short stay nurses and doctors took care of me.  This involved turning me in my bed, and giving me medication.  They checked my temperature and skin and monitored for signs of infection or any other complications.  During the days that followed, I also placed myself into the hands of those doctors and nurses.

And I have been thinking about that today.

It was a scary thing to undertake such a procedure.  I comforted myself with the knowledge that the surgery was necessary for my continued survival and health and quality of life.  But it was a scary thing nevertheless…

And I have been thinking about this as I have been thinking about the parable of the judge…

“Jesus told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Vindicate me against my adversary.' For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” (Luke 18:1-8).

Christ calls us to place ourselves into His Hands.  God has perfect capacity to hear our prayers and do with them as He wills.  And yet, we are so often falling short of this very basic request.

God tells us – plainly and explicitly – just trust in me.  Just listen to me.  Just pray to me and trust me.  And still, I close my eyes and give my body into the hands of human men without too much thought, and hesitate to entrust myself entirely to the Hand of Immortal God.

How silly I am!  How terribly terribly silly I am…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.