My friend ask me had I thought of writing about idle hands, her question brought to mind the old adage,’Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do.’My mother used to quote it to me when, as a child, I hid to avoid unpleasant chores. I’m not alone in that for sure. It was a time when it seemed you were born to work idleness or even reflective time was frowned upon,and woe betide if you thought you could escape. As a Presbyterian I was weaned on the shorter catechism, and ironically I used it as an excuse for ducking the chores.I gained a considerable knowledge of it, and of course, no one could accuse me of being idle.My sister and I stood in opposite sides of the hall porch she knitting and I working on theology and sure there were no dishes in the house anyway!
On reflection there was something wrong with such a work ethic wasn’t there?Maybe its because there was an absence of rest, and of the five members in my family seven including my parents, all found resting something to be guilty about.At this juncture the word ‘wait’ comes to mind ‘Wait I say on the Lord’ Could that be an encouragement to rest? The problem is at the moment rest is disturbed by anxiety and fear, and the feeling of restriction without limited choice.I find it useful to look up,not down, and use my hands in a variety of ways. It’s using them to play that’s the discipline!My grand niece had a goodbye ritual we used instead of hugs it involved the movement of hands forward , back,,to the side,up high, and down low, then she’d say you’re too slow I won!Can you improve on this?
aoibheann thoughtful reflections 