A Long Reach

I am one of those people.
I am the one of those people that people shorter than me approach in a store.
I am always asked the question in a quiet, I don’t want to impose, kind of way.
I am the one who always gets asked to grab something on a high shelf.

Usually, the person will say, You’re tall; can I ask you a favor?
I don’t mean to bother you, but could you get that for me? They say pointing.
Oh, to be tall like you, then I could reach the high shelf.
Would you help me?

I am always glad to help the person asking the question.
It only takes a second to help in such a practical way.
Sometimes, good conversations get started after I hand the item to them.
Sometimes, they just say a quick, thank you, and walk away.

It just occurred to me.
I have not been asked to reach for something in a while.
That is not a problem.
Being asked to reach something for someone usually happens on food shopping days.

I was going along thinking about all sorts of things as I pushed my shopping cart.
I kept glancing down at my list to make sure I had not forgotten anything.
I needed something on the top shelf, which is usually not a problem for me.
However, the item I needed was way back; all the items in the front were gone.

I reached one by stretching quite a bit.
I was thankful my arms are long.
I needed two items and the other one was even farther back than the first.
I thought about stepping on the lowest shelf to give myself a boost.

That little boost was all I needed.
My long arm and the little boost allowed me to grab the second item.
I put both items in my shopping cart.
I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned to see a woman almost as tall as me.
She had a long, silver object in her hand.
Do you need to get another one? She asked pointing to the top shelf.
I assumed she was watching me as I struggled to get the to items I needed.

Thank you, I said, but I got the two I needed.
Because if you need another one, I have this, she said holding out the long, silver object.
In her hand was an old-fashioned back scratcher.
It had a wooden handle; the silver hand on the one end extended, making the pole longer.

I never go anywhere without this, she said waving the back scratcher in the air.
I’m tall, too, she explained, but sometimes you need a little help with the far back things.
This little back scratcher works wonders, she said enthusiastically.
I looked around expecting to see a hidden camera.

I carry this everywhere, she said.
It comes in handy for so many things, she added.
She proceeded to tell me where she bought her back scratcher in case I wanted to buy one.
You just never know when you might need one; come prepared I always say, she remarked.

I almost wished I needed a third item just to be able to use the back scratcher.
Thank you so much for your kind offer, I said to her.
You made my day, I added.
Why? She asked, really wanting to know.

Because of your ingenuity, I said.
Hmmm, I guess I am that, she said as she walked away.
I smiled as I went down the next few aisles thinking of that encounter.
There are some wonderfully absurd things that happen in any given day.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. (Isaiah 59:1)

God does not need a back scratcher or any other extension pole to reach us.
God’s arm is the perfect length to save.
God does not need any help or any boost to reach His people.
The arm of the Lord is mighty to save.

God’s arm is the perfect length.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, was nailed to a cross.
The arms of the Lord Jesus were nailed to the cross beam.
His precious arms were fully extended, held on the cross not by the cruel nails, but by love.

Jesus willingly went to the cross on our behalf.
Jesus willingly suffered and died on our place.
Jesus’ love held Him there; at any moment, legions of angels could have rescued Him.
Had Jesus been rescued from that cruel cross, we would still be enslaved in our sins.

Jesus’ arms were not too short.
Jesus’ arms were extended in love.
The arms of God were nailed to a cross for you and for me.
Love held Him there.

The LORD will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:10)