You shouldn't have your fingers anywhere near where you are planing.

Get a block of 2x4 which is 1 to 2 feet long and ut a groove down the center of it, about 3/8ths to 1/2 inch deep. Make the groove a little wider than the thickness of your strips.

You can do this by setting the saw blade on a table saw to a height of a bit oer 3/8th inches above the table. Place the fence 1 1/2 inches to the side fo the blade and run the 2x4 through. Then place a short length of a strip against the fence and run the 2x4 through again. If there is any wood remaining in the middle of your groove you should be able to dislodge it with a screwdriver.

Bolt or screw this grooved block securely to a solid work surface. Whittle a few small wedges from 2 to 3 inch long piees of cedar strips and you have a ery sweet fixture for holding your strips while you plane them. Just pop the strip in the groove and wedge it gently in place with a wedge or two. This will hold the strip securely on edge, and should you happen to hit the wedge with your plane, or a power tool, it won't do any damage to the tool (the wedge is too soft) or to the operator (a small cedar wedge has minimal mass, and won't fly very far). Loosen the wedges and slide the strip back and forth to work along the length of it.

And your hands are on top of the plane, so your fingers are away from any sharp edges.

If your workspace permits you could make a very long grooved 2x4 and mount that alongside your worktable or even rig it somehow to the strongback or the sawhorses the strongback rests on.

Just a thought. If it is too late in the process to help you, then hopefully this may help someone else.

PGJ