Gentleman's Hands

The gentleman sits in his chair. He has no choice. He can go nowhere else. His joints have deteriorated to the point that even though many have been replaced, his existence is the chair.

When he was young – in his thirties and forties – he built with his hands. He was a carpenter, a farmer, and a handyman. He loved forming things out of nothing, sawing, shaping, planning, constructing. He could jump up and go, anytime and anywhere.

Now, he is confined to his chair.

Young men don’t often question whether or not they’ll be able to work for the rest of their lives. They expect their invincibility to continue. “Live fast and die young,” he and his friends would joke.

That isn't the way his life turned out.

His hands, which had once been able to bend and move, now flop together, unable to close even enough to return a handshake.
Hands, which had once been strong and powerful, are now weak and shriveled. Five years ago he could pick up a shovel and dig; today he can't even pick up a hanky to wipe his own nose.

He had not planned life to go this way, but now it is here.

He fights against frustration and lunacy, but some days it suffocates him.

He would never have imagined this for himself.

What about you?
Is your body crippled yet?

Is your body confined in the world of a chair yet?

Is your body disobedient because it cannot handle the commands of daily use yet?

For some, these pains are already life's reality.
For some, these pains will come before “old age”.
For some, “old age” will never be as debilitating.

How will you steward God’s gift to you?

How are you preparing your heart to receive these things now?

We all fade as a leaf.
We last no longer than a vapor.
And through it all: God is sovereign.
He has His plan for our good and His glory.

May we trust Him through this Journey and invest for profit the currency [life] He has entrusted to our care.

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12