Hands

Leathery as elephant hide. Dark as cacao. Chapped, tired, aching.

Not hands that can take a mental health day, that can rest when sickness or injury interferes.  Not hands that hold onto the certainty of a bank account, a retirement plan, health insurance, the promise of rest without the loss of income.

Dutiful as servants, they must respond daily to the command of an unrelenting master--hunger, the most basic necessity to survival.

What work have my hands been given to do?

I have been given the gift to heal. It has been my joy and pleasure to help people find balance in mind and body with my hands.  That has been my career.

But my vocation is to love, and in that regard I find that my hands quite often play the lazy servant.  They feel entitled to days off, massages, hand lotion, play.

They are greedy, little things, too! They don't believe it's worth the while if they are not getting paid to do something.

They are also amazingly vain.  They refuse to scrub toilets, for instance.  They are appalled by making beds, washing dishes, and folding clothes.  They are not impressed by the argument that even humble labor has value and meaning.

I find that volunteer work is a good remedy for my selfish hands.  I may not be able to reach across the world to ease the suffering of my starving brother or sister, but I can drive to the hospital and use my hands to provide comfort and reassurance to cancer patients.

I can walk across the street to hang out with my new L'Arche friends.

I can cook meals for my friend who just came home from the hospital.

Do I receive just compensation?

I have no idea if I am receiving just compensation.  It's a mystery to me.  I can make in an hour what some people make in a year.  On the other hand, I've been told I under-charge for my services.  And I know right now, I'm struggling.  My business is foundering and we are using our savings to survive.  So just or unjust, my compensation is not enough.

But just compensation isn't just about money.  It's about living a meaningful life. It's about finding satisfaction and joy in using my talents, about providing a service that reminds me I'm sharing in God's work of creation and redemption.

In that regard, I am wealthy beyond my wildest dreams.  Because there is not one thing I can do in a single day that doesn't have the possibility of yielding good for another--whether it's helping a client or thrilling my husband with a clean toilet.

As a consumer, how do I shop with awareness?

Well, here's my favorite helpful hint:  Kill Your Television.  And not just your TV.  Your commercial radio stations, and your Facebook page.  In other words, to the best of your ability, limit your exposure to advertising.  Frankly, that is one of the major ways I shop with awareness--by not shopping.

That, and we buy all our clothes at Good Will.  It's not exactly the same as shopping for clothes that aren't made in sweat shops, but at least I'm limiting my own personal demand for new products.

Finally, when I'm grocery shopping, I look for fair trade options.  There aren't many, but it's a joy to buy fair trade when I can.

How can I support the efforts of fair trade?

The most obvious way to support fair trade is to buy fair trade.  I just found a website--FairtradeAmerica.org--that provides a long list of fair trade products. It's easy enough to print out, and refreshingly broad in scope!  You can find fair trade products anywhere from Aldi's to Whole Foods.

It also has suggestions for other ways to get involved.  For instance, I can help campaign for better terms of trade or to raise awareness.  As individuals, it's very easy to use social media to post stories and information about fair trade.  But maybe you want to get your community involved in a fair trade project.  This website can provide the resources.

As for me, I think I'm going to be more conscientious about buying fair trade groceries when I can.  I may be limited to avocados, bananas, chocolate, wine and coffee.  But, hey, that sounds good to me!

Why not listen to this song as you reflect on your answers to these questions?