Mr. Jim's hands

I grew up in a culture of manly men. Not Godly men mind you, but manly for sure. They, (including my father) were middle class hard working tradesmen mostly with hobbies and intrests that would span the gamit of maledom. Sports, 4WD trucks, hunting, fishing, chainsaws, tools, well you can finish that list off in your head. Then in my mid-teens, my mom gave her life to Christ. And being a good mother she would introduce me to her christian friends, hoping I would make a christian friend. The first few men she introduced me to were very nice people. But they had soft hands, weak handshakes and a polite, shy demenor. Now I mean no disrespect to that personallity type, but the men I was used to had rough hands, a very firm handshakes, loud voices and looked you in the eye confidently. And being sixteen or so, that impression of what a Godly man looked like stuck with me, and I doubted If I could ever be so meek and refined enough to follow Jesus. Or even want too. I remember thinking to myself "I don't think I could be like that." So that first impression of what a Godly man looked like stayed with me for the next fifteen years or so until I turned my mess over to Jesus. ( that's another story I'll tell some other time.) The first few months that I served God, I didn't attend any church. I just stayed home and ravenously consummed the Bible. I read for hours each day. I couldn't get enough. I especially loved the warrior parts in there. Joshua slaying captured kings and David bringing the bloody sack of 200 foreskins from the slain philistines. And God still called him a man after His own heart. It was like reading a heroic comic book. Even the the description of John the baptist sounded rough. It seemed though he was a loud mouth with no fashion sense. Still Jesus said their were none greater born than him. That didn't seem to be what a man of God looks like today? So what's up?..... I soon found myself attending a small church near my house. (Mostly because I couldn't find a loophole for the scripture that says; forsake not the assembling together of the brethren.) I would sit quietly in the back trying to be what God wanted me to be, what ever it was. I would often find myself watching a man who would sometimes stand in the back during the music part and raise his hands and sway, sing, laugh or shout,(with the music.) and he didn't give a crap what anybody thought. he was about 50, he had longer grey hair and a goatee. He was a tradesmen and was no girlie man. One day this man caught me heading out the door. He stuck his hand out and said hey man, I'm Jim. I shook his hand and he popped me on the shoulder like a friend would and went his way. His hands were rough like my dads and his grip was approaching vise like. I felt like God said; He's a roughneck man and he loves Me. My first impression of Mr. Jim was later confirmed as I got to know him. He was hard working, hard playing, not all that concerned with social nuances or graces, but a Godly man none the less. I remember thinking to myself " Now that, I can be!" So if you doubt that you're the kind of man that God could use. Remember, Jesus chose to surrounded himself with the likes of rough fishermen and commen men of that time. Rough necks were his first choice of company. Heck he was a carpenter and their hands are thick with calluses. God can use anyone, but I like to think that us rough necks are his favorites.