Sunday, October 28, 2012

God’s Hands


I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. ~Mother Teresa


Have you ever looked at other people’s hands.  I spend a lot of time with my parents and one of the things that make me sad is the state of their hands.  They both suffer from arthritis but you probably wouldn’t know it if you didn’t look at their hands.  They seldom complain about the pain they suffer but I know it is there.  I sent my cousin an email several days ago and it made me think of what my parent’s hands mean to me. 

The joints are curved and swollen most of the time.  There are lines and wrinkles and a great deal of life revealed in their hands.  Those were the hands that comforted us when we were hurt and put band aids on the scrapes of life.  They gave direction and discipline and gave my hand to my husband’s in marriage.  The hands that have grown into crooked joints and stiff fingers reflect a life well lived.  Their hands are a source of strength but also of gentleness.   My mom always says that she has ugly hands.  To me they are two of the most beautiful things in the world.

This made me think of God’s hands. He guides us and comforts us and he also sees us through the good and bad times in life.  He lifts us up when we need encouragement and is there patiently waiting for us to turn to him during the many hardships of life. 

I told my cousin that I would love to have a photograph of just my parents hands to remind me of the strength, generosity, compassion and life that God gave us through our hands and the love, encouragement and sacrifice that Jesus gave through His nail scarred hands. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessing of our hands.  We can use our hands to nurture and love others or we can use them to cause suffering to others.  Thank you for blessing me with parents who reflected love through their hands so that I could get a small glimpse of what Your hands can do. 

Scripture:    ”Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.  I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.  Isaiah 45:1-3

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