Of course, there have been instances over the years when I might have wished for greater physical endurance. My physical frailty has at times interrupted my work, and the last interruption nearly brought my service here to an end when it struck hard at my stomach. I was rushed straight to the operating table, but, filled with confidence in Jehovah, I found peace even under those circumstances. The surgeon was a gentleman and, though he could not hold out much hope for me, he was willing to respect my religious view precluding the use of blood, and he did a fine job. To the astonishment of all, my recovery, though it took time, was good. It makes me feel as the apostle Paul must have felt due to the affliction that he termed a “thorn in the flesh.” He longed to be freed from it, but the Lord said to him: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:7-9) Even my own infirmity, my own weakness, opened the way for a good witness to the hospital personnel and other patients, all of whom were very kind to me.

Well over forty years have gone by since I came to the Watch Tower Society’s Finnish branch office to work, yet this time has seemed very short. I gave up a career of musical entertainment but I have become convinced that real happiness does not come through seeking material gain or self honor. I have found far greater happiness in singing the praises of God. And my fascination for languages has come to have much more meaning than it ever did when I was a boy, for I have been able to have a part in translating the message of life into the language of the people among whom I serve. It is the undeserved kindness of God that has opened to me all these opportunities, bringing joy to my life and enabling me to devote myself to sharing it with others.

The Hand in the Scriptures

The unique human hand, with its opposable thumb, eloquently testifies to the wisdom and skill of man’s Creator. In fact, were it not for this uniquely shaped hand, man would be far more limited in the works that he could do.

Fittingly, the hands come in for frequent mention in the Scriptures, some two thousand times. They were used as a means of measuring. A handbreadth was three inches. A span, the distance covered by the outstretched hand from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger was nine inches, a half of a cubit of eighteen inches. So when we read that the giant Goliath was six cubits and a span we know he was nine feet and nine inches tall.—Ex. 37:12; 1 Sam. 17:4.

The hands were also used in prayer, not folded sanctimoniously, but stretched out in a meaningful, imploring way to Jehovah God, as did King Solomon at the time of the dedication of the temple: “Solomon . . . spread his palms out to the heavens; and he went on to say: ‘O Jehovah the God of Israel, there is no God like you.’” Wisdom is said to stretch out its hands in appeal to those in need of it. On the other hand, God is said to stretch out his hand against his enemies when executing judgment upon them.—1 Ki. 8:22, 23; Ezra 9:5; Neh. 8:6; Prov. 1:24; Isa. 5:25; 31:3.

The hands figured prominently in the worship conducted by the Levitical priesthood, in particular in the installation ceremony. Aaron and his sons repeatedly laid their hands upon certain animals that were to be sacrificed to indicate that these animals represented them or were being sacrificed on their behalf. And then certain offerings were laid upon the palms (hands) of Aaron and his sons, picturing God filling the hands of Jesus Christ and of his body members with power and authority to serve acceptably as priests.—Lev. 8:14, 18, 22, 27.

In ancient Israel when an agreement was made there was a shaking of the hands to serve as a signature or to ratify the agreement: “They promised by shaking hands to put their [pagan] wives away.” And when one man went surety for another, he would indicate this by a striking of the palms or shaking of the hands, a thing discouraged by the wise writer of the book of Proverbs, who said: “One will positively fare badly because he has gone surety for a stranger, but the one hating handshaking is keeping carefree.”—Ezra 10:19; Prov. 11:15; 6:1; 17:18; 22:26.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures we read of the hands being used when performing miraculous cures: “When the sun was setting, all those who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. By laying his hands upon each one of them he would cure them.” There was also a laying on of hands when the holy spirit was imparted: “They went laying their hands upon them, and they began to receive holy spirit.” And when the holy spirit made it known to the congregation at Antioch that it was God’s will that Paul and Barnabas be set apart for special work, “they fasted and prayed and laid their hands upon them and let them go.” Incidentally, because of this commissioning Barnabas was termed an apostle, not one of the twelve sent by Jesus, but one of the two sent forth by the congregation at Antioch.—Luke 4:40; Acts 8:17; 13:1-3; 14:14.