Upper Hand

I recently went with 9 members of our Sunday School class on a weekend retreat. We stayed in one member's beautiful lake house. It was a weekend to get away, get to know each other better, and to share our faith. There was a really nice balance between frivolity and faith-sharing. We had a blast cruising the lake on a pontoon boat, learning how to paddle board, eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts, racing each other to the hammock, and cannon-balling into the lake. (Yes, we can----and will---do those things, even at "our age!")

When Sunday morning came, it was time to bring it all indoors and talk... about hands.

Have you ever really looked at your hands? Have you ever thought about what those hands, whether they are opened or closed, represent? We talked about that. We decided these things about hands:

An open palm receives

An open palm indicates "come to me."

A closed palm may indicate protectiveness... keeping what is tucked inside the hand from danger.

A closed palm can also be turned into a fist... not to harm, but to indicate strength and the willingness to fight for someone or something that is important or beloved.

When linked with someone else's hand, the palm communicates intimacy, love, trust and compassion.


The lake is a peaceful place. It's a place where you don't have to work too hard to let go of your fierce, white-knuckled grip on life.It's a place where the beauty of creation draws your thoughts to the wonder of the Creator. It's a place where you can remember that the same Creator whose hands paint the landscape with orange, blue and pink sunrises and with magnificent "blue moon" night skies... is the Creator who reaches those hands to you. Hands that receive you, hands that reach out to you, hands that protect you and hands that fight for you. Hands that have my name, Drexel, and your name, too, tattooed on their palms. (Isaiah 49:16)

I'll admit it's not often that I like it when someone other than me has the "upper hand." This time, I do. In fact, I think I'll just put my hand in that "upper" hand and take a stroll...through the days... through the nights... through life.

WOW! (Women on the Word!) Sunday School Class Summer Retreat