It is a moment of grace
to see that little hand reach up
and grasp my own.
It is a moment of grace
to see an aged one who stoops so low
lifted up by another.
The stars collide in the universe
and the still, dark night
embraces the light.
Helping hands reach out
stars, that ignite the world
in love.
May it be that our hands have known
the stardust of busy days
the work of our hands, a matter of the heart.
Last week, my granddaughter, Riley, gave me a cut-out picture of her hand. It was a special gift. I know that her hand will be bigger the next time she traces it and cuts it out. Now, she is only in kindergarten. One day, she will no longer bring such gifts; Riley will become a woman, and that little handprint will be a long-ago memory.
As adults, we no longer trace our hands and marvel at the beautiful craftmanship before our eyes. And yet, all the tracings would be extraordinary, and they would each tell a unique story. Each pair of hands is a one of a kind masterpiece designed by God for His purposes.
The truth is, our hands tell the story of our lives. Whose hands have we held? What kind of work did these hands do? Did these hands ease the burdens of another, lighten the load carried by our fellow man?
When we think of our hands as designer-made by God Himself, we look upon them in a new light. There is nothing ordinary about them. They are created for great works that God has set aside for us to do. These are hands that serve, and build, and create monuments of love.
When we leave this world for heaven, we will leave behind our handprint. What will our legacy be? Will we leave behind traces of love that will long be remembered?
The stars fill the night sky with so much beauty. We love to gaze upon the stars and wonder at the marvels of God’s creation. (Psalm 147:4: “He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them names.” And yet, with all the wonderment of the universe, God is so very interested in each one of us. (Isaiah 49:16: “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always on my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s wall in ruin.” John 10:3: “He calls His sheep by name and leads them out.”
There is never a time that God forgets about us. We are always on His mind and in His heart. When we ask Him to bless the work of our hands, we know that He will do so. We need only trust that God’s divine will, will be done.
Wherever we go, and whatever we do, may the handprint we leave behind be that of love; may it be the shape of a heart that marks our journey.
John 8:12: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-15: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
Just beautiful. It reminds me that what I posted on Instagram and Facebook today is a hand with a pen, writing. It’s on older hand, much like my own. Its message: “Your life is your story. Write well. Edit often. Don’t be afraid to start new chapters.”
I absolutely love that quote! It is especially true that we must not be afraid to start new chapters! 🙂
That’s a brilliant quote, Joy, and you’re so right. We need to edit often–checking our attitudes, our priorities, even our relationships (because some may not be healthy). And the freedom to start new chapters keeps us from becoming stale!
Beautiful thoughts. You made me look at my hands and think about what they have done; good and not so good. Thanks be to God for using me anyway. And thank you for these lovely thoughts.
Our God is awesome and His wonders never cease! We must look at our hands and try to see them as God sees them. Through the lens of His love and the touch of His almighty hand, all things are made new and quite beautiful. It is the lens of love that changes everything. Where we see flaws, He sees possibilities. And most of all, whether we are young or very old, our Heavenly Father takes hold of our hand and leads us along life’s journey. That is the adventure. (He never lets go of our hand, no matter what, and so, we can go forward with confidence.)
This was really beautiful to read, Linda. I was reminded of my dear mother, who often called my hands “patties”. I don’t know where she got that, but I remembered her saying many times before dinner, “go wash your little patties.” I think hands are beautiful no matter how young or old. I do believe they tell a story in many ways.
I think that is adorable…’little patties’. We always remember the terms of endearment that our mothers used. Sometimes, a word or a phrase, or a song will come to us. The years slip away, and we remember it all, like it was yesterday.
I loved this (and not just because I needed the reminder that my “old-lady wrinkled hands” can still do a lot of good in this world, especially if I uses them for God’s work. You are a very good writer, Linda!
Your hands are a great blessing, Ann! I thank God you have used them so wondrously to serve God. I often ponder your posts and I am uplifted by how honestly and beautifully you share your life and your heart. It inspires others to do the same. 🙂
Thank you, Linda!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Nicely written. May God bless you and your family with everything you need and desire.
Wishing you blessings as well! It is God who knows our hearts so well and what is best for us. We trust in His guidance with all things. 🙂
a lovely analogy of hands … grandies bring much joy!
They do bring much joy! And they do make me laugh!!! It is a very good thing. Sometimes, even after they have gone home, I remember some silly thing that they have said, and I start laughing again. They like it very much when we are entertained! 🙂 They laugh too!
so glad you get to enjoy them so much 🙂
Children are a blessing to us all! They remind us what life is all about. They live in the moment and that is a wonderful thing!
something we need to do better … plus their open honesty and direct inquisitiveness are also endearing qualities 🙂
You are so right! Those are the most endearing qualities!
A very thought-provoking meditation. Lately, I’ve seen that my hands have turned into my mother’s–which isn’t a bad thing. She did a lot of good work for others with her hands.
Everything changes with age, including our hands. Your mother served others with her hands and that is a beautiful thing! As her daughter, you learned much from your mom and that is a blessing beyond measure. 🙂
Indeed it is.
This was special for me Linda as my hands do not work as well from an accident when young. I don’t take them for granted. Maybe that is why I have always wanted to work with my hands and lend a hand as much as possible.
You certainly use your hands to create beautiful things and to help people! I am sorry that you had that accident when you were young, but you did not let that hold you back in any way. God is able to use all that we are willing to give. And somehow, the more we give, the more we have to give. It has been that way for you and it is a blessing!
We often forget that when God gives us something, hands included, they are meant to be used in service to Him, be it in work, in play or clasped together in prayer. I tend to look at my hands pretty often, mostly with a grimace since they now bear all the signs of age and stress and lack of care. but as you say, if we could use them to make a difference in the lives of others, pretty hands or gnarled ones, they would have done His will.
Sometimes, when I am cooking a particular favorite meal, I wonder how many times I have created that particular dish. I have no idea, because I have done it so many times over. Think of the times you have held a baby in your arms. We do not know how many times, but for mothers and grandmothers, it is a lot of times. Think of the weeds you have pulled, the roses you have clipped, the hands of beloveds you have held. We do not know the number of any of these things, but God does. With God, nothing goes unnoticed. And so, all things make a difference, even the little things; they matter to God and they matter to the people whose lives we touch.
Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks compassion into the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world. ~ St Teresa of Avila
Thank you for sharing this! With the help of God, we do our best. I do know this; when helping hands work together, so much is accomplished. When we remember that we do not have to do it all alone, we are strengthened. God is with us, and He gives us helpers along the way.
I love this, caitlynnegrace! 🌞
Sometimes, these are the little flowers we need for the road ahead.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Agreed! 🌞
Absolutely beautiful Linda! I love how you trace the hand from beginning to end. I hope you print this out and attach it to your granddaughter’s handprint. Someday she’ll find it amongst your things and have your precious words to hold on to. I’m quickly gaining on the half century mark and with each passing year I’m finding that my hands are becoming the mirror image of my mother’s and grandmother’s. In that, I am flooded with memories of their helping, loving hands throughout the years. I can only hope my hands will be the same for my daughter’s and grandchildren.
You are so blessed with a legacy of love in your family that continues to flourish. Our daily work on this earth requires so many lessons in love. We are not perfect and we make mistakes, but each and every day God helps us in our work. Our hands hold tightly to His own, and so we learn day by day. When we look back at our lives, we see all the beautiful notations in our lesson book, all the places where God took hold of the pen and helped us write the pages. He is the author of love and so He is our stronghold. Without Him we could do nothing; with Him, the pages are full of blessings.
Precious thoughts about your granddaughter’s little hand. I enjoyed your verse, Linda. We all have a divine light & the ability to lend a helping hand, if only we act upon it. Have a joyful weekend! 🌞
I wish you a wonderful weekend as well! These autumnal days have a magic all their own. 🙂
Such sweet and valuable words, Linda. One of my most precious pictures is the one of my mother’s folded hands as she neared her last moments on earth. All the memories of her precious work in my life with those beautiful hands came flooding over me as I stared at that picture. Your words describe my desire so well, to use my hands to bless and help others before I leave this world.
I am so glad that you have that precious memory! I believe that in the heavenly places your mother’s hands are still at work; the saints in light pray for us here, soft quilts of love embroidered in their hands.
My mother was a quilter so your words are perfect in more ways than one. ♥️♥️
That is so beautiful. My mother did some quilting as well! Each quilt is unique unto itself…like the hand that fashions the design. 🙂
So true! I have written about her quilts and the lessons they show.
That is a wonderful thing! Sharing these lessons is a gift to others…we learn so much through these stories!
A beautiful post, Linda. With you I pray: “Wherever I go, and whatever I do, may the handprint I leave behind be that of love; may it be the shape of a heart that marks my journey.” My own grandmother left a strong imprint upon me with her godly, gracious, hard-working hands. Now I pray as a grandparent myself, that I leave a worthy legacy for our three grands.
I wish you blessings with those three grands! Time passes so quickly, but each and every day we have the opportunity to create that legacy of love. If this is our mission, with God’s help, how can we fail? Matthew 19:26: (With God, all things are possible.)
Thank you, Linda!
A lovely reflection on your granddaughter’s gift and the important work our hands undertake. A beautiful poem, Linda.
Thank you! It is hard to save everything, but I am keeping those little handprints! 🙂
Lovely words and thoughts on hands, Linda. It’s timely, too, as I just read a post from someone else that featured hands reaching out to his infant great-granddaughter and her hands reaching back.
We do marvel at the wonder of an infant’s hands and feet! What a beautiful moment to capture…tiny hands reaching out to touch her great-grandfather. 🙂
💙
Such a beautiful post, Linda. And you’ve “reminded” me that I still have my daughter’s handprint artwork from preschool under the glass of my dresser! She’s 34 haha. But it brings me to back to when she needed me for almost everything.
That is a wonderful place for your daughter’s handprint! I have four children and without realizing it, you can save too many keepsakes. Eventually, what do you do with it all? I have made a number of scrapbooks, but I like the idea of putting things under the glass of your dresser. Now, I am started to accumulate things from the grandchildren!
My daughter made a plate with my 1-year-old granddaughter’s handprint (using red paint – it’s adorable) and I use that plate for apps and cookies. My now 14-year-old grand thinks it’s… grand. 🙂 Her hands are slender and graceful as she does her ballet routines – 10 years now! Hands are so expressive.
Yes! Hands are expressive! The plate sounds wonderful and within easy reach for gatherings. I can picture your granddaughter dancing…it must be lovely to watch her. Ballet takes so much training and practice!
Lovely post Linda, especially the idea that our hands can show our whole lives.
Thank you! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Linda, this is so well put. I am archiving this one. Speaking of hands… God’s grip – Alan
🙂 🙂 🙂