I was at work a couple of days ago when a co-worker and I were admiring a customer's earrings. This customer’s name was Dameca. Her earrings were these grapefruit slices that had been set in resin and handmade into beautiful earrings. When we mentioned the earrings and complimented them, Dameca began sharing the story behind them.
Dameca's earrings had come from an immigrant woman. This woman began making resin earrings as a means of earning an income after relocating to the United States, and she utilized the help of others to establish an online Etsy shop where she could showcase her art. Dameca had met her a few years back through local humanitarian work and was captivated by her art. She shared with us that she has multiple pairs of these earrings in different fruits and that when she wears them, she is reminded of the importance of using our hands for something good. Throughout our conversation, she kept posing the question, “What are we using our hands for?” Dameca had then shared that this particular woman is using her hands to share her life stories– the hardships, joys, and everything in between.
While Dameca never explicitly mentioned the Lord in this conversation, I couldn’t help but reflect on just how present He is in this woman’s art. I left that conversation and that shift with the ringing question, “How am I using my hands to glorify Him?” Numerous places in the bible remind us of the importance of utilizing our hands for the goodness and glory of God, but something about this conversation made all of those reminders tangible. I’ve been reminded of the importance of using our hands to bring glory to God in all we do, and also in being a helping hand to our brothers and sisters across the world.
Preparing to move overseas to work within an anti-trafficking context and utilizing the art of storytelling to share the hard, vulnerable stories of those around me comes with sitting with the Lord to discern direction and seek wisdom to tell these stories well. This interaction with Dameca reminded me to be sensitive to the precious stories of those I talk to, and seek the Lord and His glory above all else.