Lift Up The Hands Which Hang Down

A couple weeks ago my 9 and 7-year-old kids wanted to have a lemonade stand. 

They mixed lemon juice, sugar, & water into something that resembled lemonade, but was not very, what’s the word… good. 😬

They BEGGED to sell it on our driveway.

I gave in, cringed from the window, &, like the good mom that I am, prayed no one would come. (Did I mention it was REALLY NOT good lemonade?!)

No one came. At first.

Then 4 or 5 of their little neighbor friends came by.

I watched as they each ran home & back with dollar bills in hand for 25-cent bland lemon-ish water.

I watched as they gulped from their cups & enthusiastically told my kids it was yummy.

I watched as they brought over a bigger table.

I watched as they set up camping chairs to sit with them.

I watched as they took turns waving the poster high in the air.

And when my daughter accidentally spilled the WHOLE pitcher of lemonade onto the ground, I watched her friend run to fetch store-bought lemonade from her fridge to replace it. (It really worked out for the best.) 

And guess what. They made $26. Which they then divided amongst their friends. ❤️

“Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, & strengthen the feeble knees.” (D&C 81:5)

Stand.

Succor.

Lift.

Strengthen.

So when hands hang, 

& knees get feeble, 

we are there for each other. 

Supporting. Encouraging. Carrying.

Sitting with them.

Believing in them.

Trying their lemonade.

And when theirs runs out, offering ours.

Better yet, offer HIS- with which we “shall never thirst” (John 4:14)

Christ said, “Come​ unto me, all ​ye​ that ​​​labour​ & are heavy laden, & I will give you ​​​rest​.” (Matt 11:28)

His hands- his holy, scarred hands- lift ours.

We must lift others. 

“I offer this invitation: be part of a collective force that changes the world for good. Our covenantal assignment is to minister, to lift up the hands that hang down, to put struggling people on our backs or in our arms & carry them… [We] have unlimited potential to change society… as we seek union of feeling, we will call down the power of God to make our efforts whole.” -Sharon Eubanks