Your Right Hand

I've been having a lot of pain recently. Last Thursday I had a migrane, and over the weekend my arms and hands have been experiencing pain and just overall weakness. I've only practiced piano for about an hour all together since last Thursday. (To put this in perspective, I would normally practice about 2 hours a day, which would have been 8 hours total this weekend.)

Today, while my hands weren't experiencing sharp pains, they did get tired super quickly. After only about 15 minutes of practicing, they were dead beat and worthless.

When I can't play piano, I feel awfully useless.

And yet - God provides! He brought this verse to my attention tonight, and with it tears of joy and comfort:

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. ~Isaiah 41:13

 When I saw that verse, my eyes filled with tears. It is my right arm especially that is hurting. I felt as if God was saying to me: "I am the Lord, Melody, I am your God. I will take hold of your right hand - yes, the one that is hurting - and quiet your fears. No matter how long it may be weak or what may be wrong with it, I will be here. I will help you."

After all, God does say in verse 10 of the same chapter:

So do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

So, I will trust my Father. I will put my poor, tired, weak little hand in His big, strong, warm one, and let Him take care of it. Isn't His right hand so much stronger than mine anyways?

Just to let you all know, I've talked with my piano teacher and my chiropractor about my hands, and they think it's muscle strain. So it probably isn't anything serious; I just have to rest them for a little while.