the hands and feet of Jesus

Yesterday, my uncle Todd made us dinner again and I thought of this phrase a bit differently.  Todd has always loved food and cooking.  Before he was paralyzed, he was a great cook and came from a family of people who love food and celebrate with food......He had a car accident when he was 21 that paralyzed him for life.  Initially, he could at least eat and so when I cared for him/cooked for him, he would give me lots of directions and instructions.  He taught me alot about food.  Later, he wasn't able to do food anymore.  He has been tube-fed for years and years.....but because he loves food, he decided to cook others.  Us.

Most weeks, he will text me with the mouth puffer devise he uses to navigate his cell phone and computer.  "Would you like a meal this week?"  I almost always say yes.  1.  I decided never to turn down a meal when offered.  2.  I know it gives him great pleasure to surf the internet and come up with recipes to make a delicious meal for us.  He takes a few days to make his plan, then has his home care aides do the work of buying and preparing our meal.  Sometimes he even makes us an extra meal for the freezer, or throws in a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk.  He knows he is helping me raise my growing family......and I am so grateful.  He always wants to know how the meal was.  How do I describe the smells and tastes and satisfaction of food to a man who has not eaten for years and years......it is heart-breaking to me.  I love my uncle Todd alot.

Todd's current care giver, who cooks for us, is named Crystal.   She has recently developed pain in her wrist and is on a restricted duty....meaning she cannot prepare a meal for us anymore.  He has a new aide who will start soon but needs a few weeks to be trained.  Humbly, I learn all of this, knowing that I am more than capable and prepared to fix meals in my home every day.  That said, I know that it gives my uncle so much pleasure to make us dinner once a week!

His home care aides are his hands and feet....they shop for him, chop food, mix and stir and bake and cool and package up food that blesses my family.

I have a new thought on being the "hands and feet of Jesus"......sometimes those hands are hurting, those feet are tired.  Sometimes, neither work and one needs to rely on someone else to help and bless........Jesus is in Heaven and until He returns, we are asked to be His hands and feet.....helping and blessing and sometimes cooking for others.  Showing Love.    Jesus has no handicap that my uncle has, but I wonder if He, too, experiences pure joy and peace to know that He helped someone else, using the hands and feet of someone here in Earth.

We can all take our turn being the hands and feet of Jesus.  We can also all take our turn being on the receiving end of that......both help us know Jesus more.