His Hands

I've been thinking a lot lately about my Saviors hands. My favorite conference talk was by Pres Uchdorf in the Sunday morning session. "You are my Hands". He told this story and it has stuck with me since.

A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

Like I said this has really stuck with me since Conference weekend. I am His hands. I started thinking about the symbolism behind the Saviors hands. The scriptures say that we are engraven on the Saviors palms; we are always with him. The nail prints not only represent the Crucifixion but they symbolize the fact that the Crucifixion was for us. Each of us individually so that we might over come death. The Savior's hands did nothing but good while he was on the earth. He went about serving, embracing, teaching, and healing. I love the movies that depict the Savior healing a blind man or a leper with only the touch of His hand. His hands served. I'm also reminded of the portrayal of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. His hands quenched in pain as He suffered so that we don't have to. So that we can return and live with our Father in Heaven. Everything his hands do are for someone else. He used and still uses his hands to help others.

Pres. Uchdorf focused on the fact that our hands should also be used to benefit others. We are His hands. We are given the responsibility to do with our hands what the Savior would do with his if he were here.

So after I'd been thinking about this for the past week or so, I had a "fireball flying through the sky" experience yesterday in Sacrament Meeting when our testimony meeting was started off with the special musical number "His Hands". That summed up everything I had been thinking. My testimony of the Saviors "hands" grew full fold and I'm so grateful for that. I love my Savior and am striving each day to "make my hands like those of Galilee".