Ears to Hear: Be His Other Hand -

Today’s Talk: He Asks Us to Be His Hands by Cheryl L. Esplin

We moved into our new house about three weeks ago. As I was unpacking decorations, I came across a small Christus statue that was given to us as a wedding gift. The woman who gave it to us said that it was hand made for her by someone in her family and she wanted us to have it. It has been the center of attention in our home ever since and has meant the world to me. Unfortunately as I picked up another Christ statue that my grandmother made, it knocked against the hand of the Christus statue and it broke. I felt sick to my stomach and started crying. I broke something that is irreplaceable and I was angry, frustrated, and sad. After the flood of emotions calmed, a peaceful feeling came over me and a simple thought popped into my mind. Be His other hand.

When I first heard this talk during the General Conference broadcast in April, I had no idea how much this talk would mean to me or how much of a focus it would be in my life.

Be someone who reaches out to know and serve others–throw away the mirrors and look through the window.

For a long time, I felt like people were looking at me through mirrors. Not really seeing me or caring about me. It made going to church rather difficult.

We made a temporary move and I looked forward to the change hoping that things would be different. In our new ward, I was shown what it’s like to be looked at through a window instead of a mirror. I had never felt so loved and in no time at all, my cup was running over.

When our temporary move came to an end, I made the choice to be for someone else what our new ward had been to me. I was going to reach out to everyone I didn’t know, everyone who looked sad or alone, and see them through a window.

What if we could really see into each other’s hearts? Would we understand each other better? By feeling what others feel, seeing what others see, and hearing what others hear, would we make, and take, the time to serve others, and would we treat them differently? Would we treat them with more patience, more kindness, and more tolerance?

I know that to be true. Regardless of whether you think you know someone, you really should take the time to actually get to know them. All my life I have always been the daughter or sister and have never really been identified as just me. Everyone has always thought they knew me, but they haven’t. No one ever really took the time to look through the window.

We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.

The Lord can’t comfort everyone every where all the time. He sends us. He needs us. He needs us to be open to the promptings He sends. He needs us to be willing to look through the windows and not be so self absorbed.

When we reach out in love and service even in the smallest ways, hearts are changed and softened as others feel the love of the Lord.

I know from personal experience how much the smallest act of service can change and soften a heart. I had someone bring my family a pizza for dinner and she fed her kids left overs so she could be the Lord’s hands and help me when I was having a rough day. It was that experience that really did soften my heart and made me see that I needed and wanted to change. That I wanted to be for someone else what she was for me.

Now, three weeks after that devastating incident when my Christus statue broke, it still stand on top of my cabinets with one broken arm. It stands there as a daily reminder for me to be the Saviors other hand.