Day 257 - Your Hands

This is another song that has been following me around. It's a powerful one by Marsha Ambrosious. “Your hands on the small of my back, my body reacts, yeah. You know just what I need and where to be, yeah. Lead the way – I’ll follow you wherever you land, cuz we’re up high, here we fly together, you and I. Must you lead me on? If I’m what you want, just say it. Don’t lie. Here’s my heart – now don’t you break it, baby.” There is a strong physical chemistry and presence within this relationship. This person does all the things right things in terms of providing physical care and satisfaction. The singer is moved by this knowledgeable touch, especially the touch of two tremendous hands, and she is even willing to be led in relationship as long as they are together. Yet, she is concerned about being led on. She even demands a clear, honest declaration that she is the desired choice. She wants this declaration, because she is placing her hand in the same hands that touch her so sensationally, and she doesn’t want to be hurt by this choice. She even asks her friend not to break her heart as she entrusts it. “I leave it here in your hands. Said, my heart – I leave it here in your hands. My broken heart, I leave it here in your hands. I leave it here in your hands. Don’t you break it, baby.” She is entrusting her heart into the hands of the one who touches and takes care of her body. But not only is she leaving her in heart these hands – her heart is broken. She is trusting her broken heart to her lover, leaving it and hoping to be cared for and taken care of. It’s one thing to give someone your heart; it’s quite another to give your heart to someone when it is a tender, even broken state. She must have a great deal of trust for this person, which is interesting considering the fact that moments ago, she was asking the person to be honest about their feelings and not lead her on… “Kiss here on my lips – I’ve never felt like this. I let down my guard and then I fall for you. Hear my cry; I’m yearning for you deep inside. Let me reach for the stars, be where you are. All we can do is try, baby. Baby, you’ll do anything to satisfy me, baby, o yeah. And I will give you anything you need, baby, when you touch me there with your hands.” The power of a kiss, especially when given by someone you love. Though her heart has been broken and she’s been through pain and heartache, in this moment with this person, she chooses to let down her guard. When she does, their relational space is such that she finds herself loving again. Her being is now calling out, desiring to be part of this relationship and experience. She desires to at least try. She recognizes her lover’s desire and willingness to satisfy her, and she will happily reciprocate as long as those hands are in motion and part of the equation. “I love it when you touch me, baby. Caress me up and down – make me say ahh. Baby, I leave my love in your hands. My love, my soul, I leave my broken heart in your hands. So baby, won’t you save me? Leave my love in your hands. Ooo, my love, I leave it here in your hands.” As the song ends, she expresses more of her sentiments over the repeated chorus – “your hands.” Her lover’s touch does something to her, and it’s like the physical touch has opened up her heart and soul, allowing her to trust this person despite the hurts inflicted by previous lovers. She is leaving all of herself – the love she has, her very soul – in these hands, the touch of which seems to go deeper than her skin. She even asks her lover to be the one to save her, presumably from the pain she’s experienced and the peril of being brokenhearted. This song speaks about the power of touch in terms of its ability to open emotional, mental, and spiritual doors. Because physical touch is one of my primary love languages, I can greatly appreciate this. I have also had people touch me in ways that have had similar effects as this song describes. Even when the touch wasn’t sexual, it was such that it had the power to communicate care to me that words might not. It is an extremely powerful experience, and it can be an avenue for intimacy, healing, and deep love. But while I understand the power of hands, especially when they are “your hands” (belonging to that person who you care so much about), I am a little wary of the idea of leaving my broken heart in anyone’s hands. Now, I will agree that most of our hearts have some degree of brokenness a good 99% of the time, so there will always be some bit of healing that is needed. This is no reason to run from relationships, because the place of hurt is typically the place of healing. In other words, when you’ve been hurt in relationship, part of your healing from said hurt will be in another relationship. One of my favorite song lyrics of all time comes from Mary J. Blige – “your healing is in me and my healing is in you.” However, if my heart is cut open and still bleeding profusely, barely able to beat, I’m not sure that’s the time to put it in the hands of someone else with romantic expectations and desires. In fact, I think that’s the time to take heart in my hands and go to my corner. In said corner, I need to talk to God and begin receiving love and care for my heart. Eventually, God will bring in others to aid me in the care of my heart, whether that is friends, family members, or even a romantic partner. This is not to say that you hide from the rest of the world when your heart is broken, but it does mean that you don’t offer it to anyone to try to fix until you have done some work with it on your own. Unfortunately, there is not a person alive who can fix your heart. They can help heal you with a genuine, affirming love, but you have to be part of that process, letting them in and taking steps to trust and receive at the right time. I also wonder about leaving your entire heart in someone else’s hands. That is giving them a lot of power in your life. The heart is the core of your being, so you should be very cautious about where you put it and what you do with it. Inviting someone into your heart and sharing it with them (instead of handing over the entire thing) ought to be something done with discernment and care. I’m a fan of this song, but because I’ve dealt with much heartbreak (both from my own experience and seeing its effects on my friends), I advise you to exercise care with your heart, especially when you are in the presence of hands that can touch your soul. Be sure that the person connected to those hands can handle what you are opening to them.