The Power of the Hand

For Primary Sharing Time, Sister KC (or Cristina Crizel Grita) divided the children into groups. It turned out we can't have groups with boys and girls together as there is an objection, so it ended up girls on one side and boys on the other. The girls all said moo and the boys all baa. Sister KC would point to one group and then the other in rapid succession. Then she introduced the idea that when her arm was raised high they all would moo and baa and when she lowered it they were all silent. Then Sister KC read them the story in the Bible about Jesus Christ coming to his Father's house and finding the money changers. She raised her hand and all the mooing and baaing started and when she got to the part of Christ throwing the tables she lowered her hand. It was a very effective story and the children were all with her. She then explained that the house of the Lord needs to be reverent to feel the Holy Spirit. She was speaking in Tagalog so I understood a portion of what she said, but the children were riveted. Then Sister Eugene taught them "Reverence is Love".

When KC raised her hand I thought about the power of the hand in regards to the Philippine women. The very first day I arrived from the airport soaking in all the new sights, sounds, and smells, a mature woman with an umbrella stuck out her hand about eye level and brought all the traffic to a halt as she crossed the street. I was in awe. I have watched the phenomenon work quite a few times and Jonah has that knack also. The women here are quietly powerful in different ways. They touch their children to soothe, direct operations of their household, summon taxis, negotiate prices, reprimand a child, summon a waiter, encourage their husbands, lead music, play the piano, basically lead people to do good. I have felt the touch of a hand at my back when a short Filipino woman that goes to my shoulder and is half my size protects me from the traffic when we cross a street. Sometimes she will catch my hand to make sure I don't get lost in the mall traffic.

Then there is the touch of the Savior's hand. He asked all the saints at the Temple in Bountiful to feel and witness that he was the Redeemer of the world in 3 Nephi 11:14-15. That is a powerful hand that has reverberated throughout all the ages. The hand that stilled a sea, healed the sick. opened the eyes of the blind,  reached out to the sick and afflicted, lifted the dying, and beckons us to follow Him.