The Arms of Jesus

Currently reading
The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World
by Bruce W. Longenecker




"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get 8 cats to pull a sled through the snow." Jeff Valdez

"Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go. Courage is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow." Alice Swaim

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up and snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." John Ruskin

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams go, life is a barren field, frozen with snow." Langston Hughes
The snowflakes gather in their own flurries, blowing from the west in softball-sized bundles. The frozen, blustery day outside forces us all to pull on our winter layers, guaranteeing a sweater, matching mittens, heavy socks, resizing last year's boots, making sure they fit. They are only needed for such a short time of the year, but when needed, there is nothing to replace them. The mercury in the outside thermometer seemed to be frozen in place: -7 degrees Fahrenheit. I do not need a cup of coffee or tea this morning to wake me completely, just an intake of air forces every atom in my being to stand at attention. Each breath is so cold is feels like a caterpillar of nails is inching down to my lungs with each gulp of oxygen. It hurts, slightly, and brings energy, activity and adrenaline. "There's only one way to face this, and that's to just keep moving!" The driveway will need shoveling, and it becomes like a job that truly has no ending, only a certain beginning. As the flakes are falling and I reach the end of our driveway, there is a driveway next to mine and across the street. "Its really only another 5 minutes," I whisper to myself as I walk up and down each driveway with my magic shovel.

Yes, author Roald Dahl may have written about a magical world with an incredible chocolate factory, magic golden tickets and magic candy recipes and amazing helpers. Roald Dahl had magic in his mind: I have magic in my hand with my magic shovel. Its a giant blade, lightweight with a large U-shaped handle which permits a shoveler to conquer an 18" path. She's called "Trusty" and she's been in our possession since we lived in Maine over 15 years ago. There's only been one winter since 1993 that didn't need the help and expertise of Ol' Trusty, yet some locations have needed her touch more than others. Winter in Maine is a snow in early November that stays and becomes the winter foundation for the next layer, and then the next, and so on. Winter in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts was a steady expectation of one winter storm after another, followed by days and days of crisp and clear coldness which preserved the cleansing effect the snowfall had brought. Yet winter in PA and OH has been an experiment in how many inches could fall in one day and then melt the next. Winter in these Midwest parts is more likened to "flurry freeze, then hurry leave" than the New England regions we have lived. And through these variant snow flurries, nor'easters, ice storms, white outs, dumps and lake effects, Ol' Trusty has been given the once over inspection and used with ease. You can power up your snowblower with fuel and noise and I will still give you a run for your money. With a determined pace, one can have victory over the snow, so in less than 30 minutes, I had conquered three driveways and a sidewalk. Very nice.

With the driveways tackled, the school bus arrives to whisk young learners off to their educational nirvana of books and calculations. My van has defrosted the windshields and gotten to a cozy temperature inside. As I turn right at the stop sign I check the rearview mirror to treasure the look of this new fallen snow and its beauty - Exquisite.

The snow is not dangerous or threatening to me or my family - we are stocked up and prepared for the effects the cold, chilly winter blast can bring from the Snow Miser. Its really a fun part of the calendar - we get to throw snowballs, to see our breath when we pretend we are like a train (Chugga chugga, whoo whoo!) But as I turn into the parking lot of my corps, I can examine that there are many with us this morning who are very vulnerable to this frigid turn in the weather. Winter is dangerous to them, spending untold amount of hours exposed to the extreme weather. Pneumonia and bronchitis is an expected fact of life, and one prolonged sickness could bring drastic results. "How many needed to sleep outside last night?" resonates in my heart, "or in their car? Oh, Lord please help them."

They've come for day-old baked goods, which will be ready in about 15 minutes, but also for another opportunity to be inside, to thaw, to think a thought, a single thought. It is as if they could all be a character described by Earnest Hemingway, these souls reveling in this "Clean Well-Lighted Place." I bring out the large box of gloves, hats and socks and the small barrel of children's sizes, knowing that they are needed today more than most. There's enough for everyone if they look through what is available - some will, others may not. Some will carry some for someone else, hoping they will fit or be the right color. Yesterday, someone had brought in a man's coat as a donation, extra large, and there is someone today who is wearing it, grateful that it can replace the flannel sweatshirt he had been using to fend off the cold. As I stand with one familiar face, I rub her hands gently as she describes the night - she was able to stay with a friend for a few weeks. There are no cute cliches right now, "Cold hands, warm heart"...everyone's hands are cold, and these few minutes inside waiting is a gentle respite. Another someone is brewing the coffee and additional hot water for hot chocolate or tea. The waiting time is brief it seems, merely 15 minutes, but it can be interlaced and traced with dignity- intentional, specific, compassionate dignity.

And it didn't cost any of us a single, solitary thing.

Christ reaches out to the world in many of these photos - statues, stained glass, monuments, sepulchres, sacred art, and they all speak a specific word of Christ reaching to the world and reaching to God. They are all very Scriptural, inspirational and motivational.












Even though they are all beautiful, masterful, it is this lower statue of Jesus, this one which captures the vibrance of my heart and holds me, almost unable to breathe: Jesus without his arms. It is obvious from the structure of the folds of his robes and the posture of His back and shoulders, Jesus is reaching out, possibly even reaching up and an accident has separated His arms from the structure. The striking perspective found within this statue, for the Christian believer is this : Jesus needs us to be His arms.





The divine touch of God's compassionate love and forgiveness needs to be shared with the relevant, time-bound arms of this generation. Not the saints of the past or the future, but the present compassion of a believer today. God's love getting shared with your fingerprints, your touch, your wit, your openness, your insight and perspective - this is God's holy mission! God's holy love, shared through Christ - we are His arms! Sharing God's love can be as direct as watching a single mother's children while she grocery shops, or changing the lightbulbs for an elderly man; it might show up as a chance to sit and listen to a story from a nearly forgotten war or a recent heartbreak of disappointment. Is your closet bursting with too many coats, shirts, dresses, shoes? Is there someone who will benefit from your careful generosity?

You are the arms of Christ, reaching into this world - right now - with all the resources, talents and convictions God has blessed you. You carry His touch. You make the bridge connection that crosses the chasm of brokenness, all in the name of reaching out as the arms of Christ. Don't let your actions be construed as a gentleman's obligation or a lady's thoughtfulness. Make sure you share the name of Jesus in your reaching. You carry the story of God's love.

Reaching out is evangelism at its best. Jesus reminds His believers that the most important gist of devotional faith is loving God and loving each other.

Reach out lovingly. Reach out with strength and purpose. Reach out with your whole heart, ready to give, listen, haul, move, cook, clean, advocate, sing, build up.

Reach out as the arms of Jesus.

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God. If we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us , because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Christ who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a wordly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us." 2 Corinthians 5:13-20 NIV