Today was beautiful! It was a perfect temperature, there were hardly any bugs, the wind was blowing but not too much, and the sun was shining. My wife decided to go shopping for some needed items and I decided to go for a little walk. I walked down to the gazebo that is close to our apartment and sat down and read. I even got out the pencil and sketchbook and drew a little. I haven’t done that in a long time! I got to talk to a friend of mine who was working in his garage, and then I played some basketball with a few younger kids from the church. It was a lot of fun.

As I was walking, I did something simple. Maybe I looked stupid, but I stretched out my arms like young children do when they are pretending to be an airplane. It was at that moment I felt the cool breeze rush over my open palms. I realized something. I spend most of the day with my hands in my pockets, or closed in a fist (or curled over a keyboard). I began to think about how this might reflect my spiritual journey, that instead of having open hands to God, I walk around with clenched fists. I spent the rest of my walk with my hands open and meditating on my life. I have made a commitment to pay more attention to how I hold my hands and during those times focus on what God is giving me.

See, you can’t force things into closed hands. It’s like trying to pour water into a container with the lid on. It just doesn’t work. I think that my hands were an example of my heart. All to often it is closed off and clenched, and God can’t (He’s not going to force me) get in there and pour in the good stuff.

Try something for me. For ten minutes sit with your hands open and meditate on what God is trying to pour into you. Try going through the day and consciously focus on your hands. Are they open or closed? Is your heart open or closed? Let me know if you try it and if God uses that time to speak to you.