John 3:35 - The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
Our hands are such an integral and accustomed adjunct to our bodies that, unless they ache with overuse or arthritis, suffer dried, cracked skin, or require washing after enduring labor in the garage or garden or home, we scarcely notice them. We take for granted that in typing an e-mail, dusting the furniture, grasping the leash of our head-strong dog, or wiping away the tear of a child, our hands will perform for us without question. They are servants, obedient and unflinchingly pliant to the commands of our brains; it is often too easy to neglect their importance and functionality, to be grateful, through them, for the inimitable gift of touch.
When Danny and I first met in person after courting on E-Harmony for almost two months, my most vivid recollection of our date at Chili's was the feel of his hands when he reached for and held mine and, gazing into my eyes, said he wanted to see me again. I immediately registered the simultaneous strength and gentleness in his grasp and returned, what I hoped then, was the same. Our hands did more to communicate a mutual trust and optimism for what may lie in store for the two of us than anything else we said or did that day and, to this day, I still covet slipping my hand into his, feeling his warm, strong and comforting clasp that says, "I love you" without a word spoken.
Last Sunday, I witnessed Danny's hands put to a new and different task: that of holding Virginia Rose, my granddaughter, and his adopted. He held her on his lap on our deck and gently tickled her abdomen; she promptly launched into gales of laughter and this Gammie snapped some priceless shots, one of which I've posted here. Her merriment was so contagious that we couldn't help but laugh with her and that made her chortle all the more. The same hands that could wheedle the laughter from this baby, I realized, were the same ones holding her firmly and securely, with loving kindness and genuine affection. How can we ever underestimate the power and potential of our hands?
The Lord, our Lord, has the wold world in His hands. Let him cradle you in His, let Him tickle you, let Him hold you close and wipe away your every tear. Use your hands for Him in this life, and may He grant you the strength and courage to do so at every turn. In the name of the Lord, a simple touch can become a miracle.
Our hands are such an integral and accustomed adjunct to our bodies that, unless they ache with overuse or arthritis, suffer dried, cracked skin, or require washing after enduring labor in the garage or garden or home, we scarcely notice them. We take for granted that in typing an e-mail, dusting the furniture, grasping the leash of our head-strong dog, or wiping away the tear of a child, our hands will perform for us without question. They are servants, obedient and unflinchingly pliant to the commands of our brains; it is often too easy to neglect their importance and functionality, to be grateful, through them, for the inimitable gift of touch.
When Danny and I first met in person after courting on E-Harmony for almost two months, my most vivid recollection of our date at Chili's was the feel of his hands when he reached for and held mine and, gazing into my eyes, said he wanted to see me again. I immediately registered the simultaneous strength and gentleness in his grasp and returned, what I hoped then, was the same. Our hands did more to communicate a mutual trust and optimism for what may lie in store for the two of us than anything else we said or did that day and, to this day, I still covet slipping my hand into his, feeling his warm, strong and comforting clasp that says, "I love you" without a word spoken.
Last Sunday, I witnessed Danny's hands put to a new and different task: that of holding Virginia Rose, my granddaughter, and his adopted. He held her on his lap on our deck and gently tickled her abdomen; she promptly launched into gales of laughter and this Gammie snapped some priceless shots, one of which I've posted here. Her merriment was so contagious that we couldn't help but laugh with her and that made her chortle all the more. The same hands that could wheedle the laughter from this baby, I realized, were the same ones holding her firmly and securely, with loving kindness and genuine affection. How can we ever underestimate the power and potential of our hands?
The Lord, our Lord, has the wold world in His hands. Let him cradle you in His, let Him tickle you, let Him hold you close and wipe away your every tear. Use your hands for Him in this life, and may He grant you the strength and courage to do so at every turn. In the name of the Lord, a simple touch can become a miracle.
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