give me a hand

Yours, specifically.

I'll explain.

There are a number of blogs I visit, some regularly, some occasionally, that have given things away just for fun. "I want to do that!" I exclaimed to myself. I searched for an occasion.

Blogoversary? That's not until summer (I think).

Number of posts? I'm approaching 900 but I've got a few more weeks until I reach that number.

Number of followers? Yeah. Right. I've got a staggering 22! Popular as I was in high school.

So then I got an idea, inspired by a giveaway hosted by my friend Kim. I'll save the giveaway until the 900th post. For now, here's the deal.

Please trace your hand on a piece of fabric and send it to me. If you don't have fabric, trace your hand on paper and send it to me. I'll find fabric and retrace. Or I'll send you some fabric. We'll figure it out.

From there I will applique all your lovely hands onto a quilt. This project is inspired by a true story.

Some years ago a colleague of mine had a stroke. Following the stroke he retired as rector of his parish. His wife, also a priest and at the time serving as associate, stepped into the role of rector. Subsequent to Bob's recovery from the stroke he was diagnosed with cancer. As an expression of their love for him, members of his parish traced their hands on fabric and then their hand tracings were appliqued onto a quilt. As Bob's cancer progressed there were days when he struggled with fevers. The quilt, finished and blessed, was delivered to Bob, and as he shivered with fevered chills the quilt was placed over him where he lay. Within moments, his fever broke. Ah, those healing hands.

A member of my church is dying from cancer. He has but a few days left on this earth, but as I think about quilts and cancer and Bob, I feel inspired to create a quilt that can be healing hands on someone down the road who can benefit from that love and those prayers.

I'm asking for your hand.

I don't know yet how I will place those hands, what sorts of colors they will be, or even how many I will receive to help me in this effort. But I need to begin the work. It's coming up on Easter, and as I anticipate the revelation of new life from the ashes and shadow and heartbreak of what was, I want to apply that love to something special.

Join me. Trace your hand, say a prayer and send it on its way. In fact, trace the hands of your family, too. I'd love to have some smaller hands be part of this. Together we will touch a life, or more, with the love that knows no end. I can't think of a better Alleluia to celebrate the victory of life over death.

Leave a note in the comments if you want to participate and I'll email you my address. 

Namaste!