The following is taken from a mission email sent Sept. 2, 2014 from Antipolo City, Philippines:
Last week, I accidentally stabbed my hand with the safety pin that I’ve been using to hold my bag together (the shoulder strap is getting a little sketch but I can’t bring myself to spend the money on a new one for just two transfers). It happened to pierce, unfortunately, right at the base of my thumb on my right palm. At first it was like “Oh shoot. Bummer.” But then as the week went on, I started to notice something I had never noticed before: HOW MUCH I USE MY HANDS FOR EVERYTHING. And how frequently I use alcohol (hand sanitizer). I noticed because it always brought a twinge of pain.
As I was attempting to wash my hair yesterday (yes, lathering shampoo hurts too), I thought of what an interesting experiment/learning experience that was for me, and what a cool symbol in terms of our relationship with Christ. They say “we are the body of Christ” diba? We are His HANDS and feet here on earth. To me, that stuck out, because I realized how important we are as His instruments! It is awfully hard to wash your hair with one hand, let alone none. I have a testimony that every single one of us is important to the Lord’s work! We missionaries (one “hand” if you will) might be able to survive without the help of the members (the other “hand”), but the result will definitely not be as pretty or as effective as it could have been if the two worked together. We really do need each other and the Lord needs every one of us on His team!
In the symbol of hands, too, I thought of course about the Atonement of our Savior. How He allowed His perfect, loving hands to be pierced by the nails that held Him to the cross as He gave His life in our behalf. Those same hands that had brought light to the blind man, raised the “sleeping” daughter, wiped the tears of the sinner, and washed the disciples’ feet. Those same hands that learned the carpenter’s trade, taught the learned in the temple, and brought a faltering Peter to successfully cross the sea.
In realizing how central hands are to the things we do each day, it somehow became even more powerful to me that Christ has chosen to retain in His the scars of His eternal sacrifice. I feel like, for Him, His hands were more than a tool for every day life, they are a living witness of His love for us and all mankind. He used them for good during His mortal life, and they are a symbol of His service throughout eternity.