Friday, March 13, 2009

Lefties are all Right!

Every accountant I've ever known is left handed which has always seemed interesting to me. I suppose that right handed people sometimes choose the field of accounting as their profession, but my experience with accountants has always proven to be consistently leftist.

I understand that if you are right handed, you are left brained and vice versa, so I am confident that there must some mathmatical significance to that, although I have known one or two left handed artists and a few right handed math teachers, so there are always exceptions I suppose. Anyway, the subject of left or right handedness leads me to the story of Ehud in Judges chapter 3, compelling me to avoid progressing to another chapter in the Bible today.

Ehud was a left handed man who was raised up by God to be a rescuing judge after Othniel. Here's how scripture puts it:

15 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab. 16 So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot[b] long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing. 17 He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.

I was surprised that scripture actually pointed out Ehud's left handedness, but apparently it served him well when he had the opportunity to return to see Eglon alone, ultimately fatally striking him in the gut with his hidden weapon. King Eglon would have assumed a defensive posture if Ehud has placed his right hand under his cloak, but I imagine he was completely caught off guard by Ehud's swift dagger retrieval via his left hand.

Sometimes, we eroneously assume that our "differences" are hindrances, but when we are walking by faith and intent on serving God, he uses us despite our perceived handicaps or hindrances.

I am not left handed, but my left handed friends all complain about the inconveniences associated with having to adapt or adjust to the use of right handed tools. What are the things that seem to be different or even annoying about the way you were created? It's just possible that God made you special--not different--because he has a very wonderful opportunity for you that will best be served when you use that "whatever" that makes you uniquely you.

Father, forgive me for grumbling about things that I perceive to be hindrances and help me look for ways to use my unique traits for your glory and purposes--and please do that for my precious loved ones as well. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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