The Hands of Time

Hello, my name is Gloria Orengo Taylor, and I am the VA/Healthcare Chaplain for the Assemblies of God. I had the honor to represent the Assemblies as their first female Chaplain in the military and the third female Chaplain in the Air Force. To say that this was a challenge is probably an understatement. However, I loved it and knew without a doubt that that was what God wanted me to do. Following my retirement from the military I entered hospital ministry, enjoyed that, and retired again in 2014 until my boss, Manny Cordero (Director of Chaplaincy Ministries) asked me to take this position, which again made me the first female to have a leadership role in this department. Over the 43 years of ministry the Lord has taught me so much about working with people, loving them, sharing the trails they are going through, listening as they share their hurts and rejoicing with them in their success in life. More than anything, I have learned to be the hands and feet of Jesus. So, since this is the Christmas season, let me first say, I was born and raised on the island of Oahu, so Mele Kalikimaka, which is Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. And let me share some thoughts on The Hands of Time. You’ve heard the commercial that askes “What’s in your wallet?” it advertises a credit card company. Well, I’d like to ask this question, “what’s in your hands?”, or “what do you hold in your hands?” especially during the Christmas season. I know this is an unusual question to ask, but before you think to hard about this, let’s go back to what we consider the very first Christmas and look at the hands of those involved. In Matthew 2:1-11 tells of the three Wisemen who followed the star to Bethlehem bearing gifts. There is a beautiful legend that tells us about them. “It seems that one of them was a young man and in his youthful idealism he looked for a King. He carried gold a gift for royalty. Another was middle-aged and to satisfy the deep questions that disturbed his maturing mind he long to find God. His gift of frankincense was to worship God. Whom he hope to find. And lastly, the third was aged, with many a sin-stained year behind him; he longed to discover a Savior. Feeling that his savior would be a sufferer, he took with him a gift of healing, Myrrh.” Gerald. M. Ward

The next hands were that of Herod the King also known as Herod the Great. This man was known for his many building projects that helped the people of his day, however, scripture (Matt 2:16+) tells us he ordered all children two years and younger to be killed. This man died with the blood of the innocent on his hands.

The shepherds were part of the story of Jesus birth. Unfortunately, they were looked down by the orthodox people of that day. They were unable “to keep the details of the ceremonial law; they couldn’t observe all the meticulous handwashing rules and regulations.” And yet it was to these humble shepherd that the angels appeared and who went to see the Christ child. Consider the worn, unclean hands who were the first to worship Him.

There is not much told of Joseph who was Jesus’s earthly father, but I assumed he help delivered the baby(who else was there to do that?). With his hands he helped bring Jesus into the world and later would instruct him how to be a carpenter.

Of course, there were the angels who had appeared to the shepherd announcing the arrival of Jesus (Luke 2:10-14), “praising God and saying glory to God…and on earth peace good will toward men.” I can’t help but see them with their hands lifted high in praise.

Then there is Mary. In my mind I can see her hold baby Jesus, looking into his eyes, making sure he was warm and safe, counting his fingers

and toes. Holding his hands, lovingly talking to him not knowing that the hands she held would one day heal the sick and raise the dead, would break the bread and fish that would feed thousands, would bless the children, and ultimately be nailed to a cross.

THE HANDS OF TIME.

There has been much abuse and horror done with our hands since the beginning of time and it never seems to end. Mankind’s inhumanity with one another is unthinkable. What use to be infrequent acts of violence are now the norm. The taking of innocent lives must make our Lord weep. But we have also seen good come from hands that have made inventions to make life a little easier; hands that have created beauty. God has gifted people with the ability to bring healing to those that need a miracle. He has given us the ability to lift holy hands to worship and praise him, to lay hands on one another to receive his comforter, to show love, mercy, and grace in acts of kindness.

As ministers of the gospel, we may serve in different areas of ministry, pastors, missionaries (US and World), evangelist, military, VA/ healthcare chaplains. Chaplains in prison, jail, Human trafficking, racetrack, Foster parents, counselors, and many more, all with one purpose, that is to bring those who are hurting in a lost and dying world to the feet of Jesus.

We can look around our divided country and the world and see that we are living on borrowed time. The craziness and ugliness we see every day on the news does not help. Scripture has told us what will happen in the last days, and I believe we are living it. This is how I imagine what is going on in heaven, Jesus has one foot out the door of heaven, he is looking at His father to give the order and his hands are ready to give the signal. I have heard all my life that He is coming soon but now more than ever I feel it in my spirit.

Let me close with this story, “A gentleman visited a jewelry store one day with a friend. He was shown magnificent diamonds and beautiful colored stones. Among them he saw a stone that seemed lusterless and pointed to it saying, ‘that one has no beauty at all.’ His friend put it in the hallow of his hand and closed his hand and then after a few moments opened it again. The entire stone gleamed with all the splendors of the rainbow. ‘What have you done to it?’ his friend asked. the reply was ‘this is an opal it is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs to be gripped with the human hand.’

Whose hand will you grip this Christmas? Will it be your grandchild, your husband your wife? Will it be your neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus? What about the man or woman you always see at the corner of a street asking for money, or the homeless person who is wearing tattered clothes and whose hands are dirty?. Who will you touch today?

He has no one but us to do His work, to love the unlovely, to show mercy to the person that has hurt us or said some untruth about us, to show forgiveness because he has forgiven us. We are the HANDS OF TIME.

I pray that this Christmas and 2023 will be the greatest time for you and your ministry.

Gloria Taylor, BCC VA/Healthcare Representative, Chaplaincy Ministries AG National Office | (210) 387-1838