What do your hands say about you?

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their hands. That’s how pastor Greg started his sermon yesterday. I’ve been thinking a lot about what he said. One look at a mechanic’s hands might reveal grease embedded in the nails. A farmer’s hands might be rough and full of callouses. The hands of a person who works with his mind might be smooth. 

    I remember when I played the violin, I had callouses on the tips of my three middle fingers on my left hand from pressing on the strings.  And I still have the writing lump on my middle finger on my right hand.

    Pastor Greg talked about the hands of Jesus. Jesus had the hands of a common laborer. Afterall, he spent 30 years as a carpenter. But his hands were also the hands of love. His hands went on to touch the eyes of a blind man and give him sight. They went on to touch the body of a little girl and -- “Talitha koum!” - give her life. And they went on to break the bread as he said, “This is my body, which is given for you.”

    Look closer at Jesus’ hands and you’ll see the scars of a man who hung on a cross, the hands of the one who reached out to the whole world.

     So, what does this have to do with writing? Well, it made me think of a writing exercise. I’d like you to describe the hands of someone. It can be the hands of a real person, or the hands of a fictional character. But try to show us this person by showing us his hands. Good luck!