Busy Hands

Busy Hands

Dorcas

Read: Acts 9:36-42

The teenage girl brushed the soft baby afghan against her cheek. She had found the pink-and-white blanket in a bag of gifts that her mentor from the Crisis Pregnancy Center had just dropped off in her hospital room. As a single mom on public aid, the girl couldn’t afford to buy even the necessities. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of her sweet baby girl wrapped up in the pretty, hand-knit afghan. Meanwhile, across town, an elderly, homebound woman sat knitting and praying for young women she would never meet.

Dorcas, or Tabitha, was another believer with busy hands. Seeing the poor and needy in her town stirred her compassion and spurred her to use her sewing ability to help clothe them. Dorcas developed a reputation for doing kind things and for helping the poor. When she died, the other believers were so heartbroken that they sent for Peter.

The widows showed Peter the clothing and coats that Dorcas had made for them. They probably wouldn’t have had adequate clothing except for this special woman’s kindness. Each one wept as she remembered things that Dorcas had done especially for her. Peter sent them out of the room and prayed, and God brought Dorcas back to life.

Too often in the church, attention tends to focus on the more visible ministries. If we aren’t involved in speaking, teaching, or performing, we may feel that we don’t have much to offer. But God has given his children all kinds of gifts and abilities. Practical skills such as sewing, cooking, decorating, and organizing may not be flashy, but they can have a tremendous impact on other people’s lives. Whatever ability we have can bless others if we dedicate it to God. We can’t all sew clothes, but we can all sow seeds of kindness—using whatever tool God has given us.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)