Establish the Work of our Hands

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.

                           (Psalm 90:17)

Day 4

End of the day - Tired and dirty, but joyous!

A person’s hands are able to perform SO MANY works, sometimes in completely opposite ways. They can bless and insult, grasp and release, push-away and welcome, caress and inflict harm, work and wave-off, praise and offend. Hands are quite impressive and capable in all they do! 

As I reflect on these days of serving here in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, I’m struck with the many different ways our hands have been put to use. Not only have we used our hands to perform the work we came here to do (repairs/clean-up, wield tools, etc), but we’ve also used them in ways I hadn’t thought about or planned for… like preparing breakfast each day for our group before heading out to serve; washing and drying dishes post dinner meals; holding each other’s hands as we take turns to pray and prepare for each work day; hugging and embracing those whom we are serving as they open up while sharing their tragic stories; applauding the work of each other for the hard work that’s been accomplished each day. It’s taken ALL of our hands in lending a hand, not just one person’s, and all have contributed when it was needed and without prompting or pushing! Every one of these fine individuals have done so graciously, without complaint, and in such a way that no one job has fallen on only one person. It’s been a true team experience.

As we head into our final day of putting our servant hands to use for our neighbors to the glory of God, before they grasp our steering wheels to direct our ways home, I lift up my hands in thanks to God for this amazing experience, and for these amazing people, and for these amazing people of Roan Mountain, Tennessee!  

Pastor Steve

Prayer to start Day 2, with homeowner Loretta

Many hands

Our under-the-house insulators

Dish duty