Ambidextrous

I remember a time when we did not have a computer.
My husband and I were married in 1981.
I still used a typewriter back then.
Our phone was on the wall in the kitchen and cell phones were nonexistent.

I remember the day my husband bought our first computer.
I remember the cumbersome computer tower on the floor.
Wires seemed to be everywhere.
The monitor looked like a bulky television set.

The computer was intended to be used by everyone, with limited time and limited access.
My children were still doing homework by hand.
However, as children had access to computers, they were encouraged to use them.
Soon writing assignments in longhand would become a thing of the past.

I can remember hearing my husband say, dot com, often.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
My daughters caught on quickly.
I remember hearing the words, mouse and mouse pad and finding the whole thing funny.

Anyone who has grown up around technology cannot imagine a time when it was not around.
For those of us that can remember, there was a definite learning curve.
All the ways we had previously done things had to be unlearned and relearned.
New synapses were being formed in our brains as we expanded our thinking.

My husband adjusted well to the new technology since he used computers at work.
My children had the computer at home and computers at school.
Computers were part of their day to day life.
I needed to learn so as not to be left behind.

Mom, come try this, my daughter said a few nights after we got the computer.
I honestly forget what it was she wanted me to try.
I looked at her and back at my husband who was standing over her.
I moved this new thing called a mouse over the mouse pad.

The cursor seemed to shoot across the screen.
Mom, click there, my daughter said pointing.
I tried to move the mouse to the place where I was told to click.
The cursor shot across the screen again.

I could feel my neck getting red.
I could see my husband and my daughter exchanging glances.
My husband put his hand over my hand and guided the cursor where it needed to go.
He clicked at exactly the place I was told to click.

Try it again, Mom, my daughter said.
I repeated what I did minutes before and the cursor shot across the screen again.
I could feel myself beginning to get frustrated.
I will try later, I said as I left the room to clean up the kitchen.

I went downstairs thinking I was never going to get the hang of computers.
I cleaned up the dinner dishes.
I wiped the counters and the table.
I left the clean pots and pans for my other daughter to dry.

I closed the blinds.
I took out the trash.
I put water in the tea kettle for a cup of tea.
I opened the canister to put a tea bag into my mug.

I did all of those things with my left hand.
My left hand.
I ran back upstairs.
Does that mouse have to stay there? I asked, not making any sense with my random question.

You need the mouse to move the cursor, my husband said in a matter of fact tone.
But does it have to stay THERE, on the right side? I asked him.
My daughter smiled, understanding what I was asking.
Without missing a beat, she moved the mouse to the left side of the keyboard.

I sat down on the chair.
With ease, I moved the mouse all around without the cursor shooting across the screen.
I had control with my left hand that I never had with my right hand.
Success! I said out loud, as my daughter cheered.

These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 12:1,2)

King David was banished from the presence of Saul, the former king.
Saul was jealous of David since God had left Saul but was with David.
Saul tried to kill David on may occasions.
David was forced to hide and, with God’s help, eluded Saul time after time.

Warriors came to David so that they could help him in battle.
Some of these skilled warriors were called David’s Mighty Men.
Members of Saul’s own family came to David’s aid.
They were such skilled warriors, they could fight with both their right and their left hand.

God put ambidextrous men at David’s side.
They were warriors who could shoot arrows or sling stones with either their right or left hand.
That always intrigued me.
I was unable to move a simple computer mouse on a mouse pad with my right hand.

Ambidextrous is being able to use the right and left hands equally well.
An instrument is ambidextrous if it can be used by left and right handed people with ease.
I am definitely NOT ambidextrous.
I am completely left-handed.

God made me that way.
My left hand has helped people, held my husband’s hand, and guided my children.
My left hand has written stories, stirred simmering things on the stove, and waved to neighbors.
God did not choose to make me ambidextrous.

However, there are a few things I can do with both hands.
I can reach out to embrace someone who is hurting.
I can fold my right and my left hands in prayer.
I can raise both my right and my left hand in praise.

That is ambidextrous enough for me.

2 responses to “Ambidextrous”

1. I can relate to this to some extent–I am left-handed in writing and painting, but can do other things (including moving my “mouse”) with my right. But you are right; it doesn’t matter which hand we use to help others and praise God!

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   • Sue,
     Right or left, our hands are an instrument of praise to our God.
     Gina

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