I happened to look at my hands recently. Not just glance...really look at them and study them. I've never been a particular fan of my hands, primarily because I'm a long-time nail biter. A lifer. While I've broken the habit at various times in my life, I've never achieved victory once and for all. But I digress...
As I really noted my hands on that recent day, I noted that they're looking "older." My mom has sometimes referred to her hands as being similar to the hands of older generations of women in our family. "Old German hands" she calls them. But while I noticed that my hands may have moved beyond their youthful luster (whatever that was), I was struck by something else.
These same hands...
* curled around the finger of my mama as I lay snuggled in her arms.
* painstakingly took hold of a pencil and scrawled out my name for the first time.
* were enclosed safely by my daddy's as we walked together down the street.
* poured a can of peas into my great-grandma's homemade vegetable soup
* played piano at my first-ever recital
* swung a bat, caught a football, made a basket
* timidly, excitedly gripped the steering wheel (10 and 2 :)) for the first time
* served eggs and hashbrowns, burgers and fries to all the regulars in a little cafe
* switched the tassel on my mortar board from one side to the other
* filled journal upon journal with thoughts and dreams and goals and prayers
* dialed the number of my far away boyfriend for weekly chats
* locked together with my new husband's, "till death do us part"
* received 3 newborn babies to my chest, snuggling and holding them close
* changed diapers, fed and dressed, bathed, patted, and comforted
* opened wide to encourage a toddling baby to take those few steps across the room
* chopped, diced, sauteed, boiled, mixed, baked...
* jotted down menus and grocery lists, clipped coupons, placed groceries in my cart
* bandaged boo-boos, took temperatures, applied lotion
* turned pages in picture books as I read to my little boys
* washed, dried, sorted, ironed, folded, and put away laundry
* encircled many mugs of hot coffee
* clapped in celebration, embraced in joy and pain
* created, painted, arranged, and decorated
* wrote, typed, blogged, facebooked, texted, skyped
* formed a circle with friends and prayed with one heart to our great God
* paged hungrily, expectantly through God's love letter to me
* held the still warm hand of a dearly loved grandma as she saw Jesus face to face for the first time
* clung to the neck of a friend moving away, willing to not let go
* hesitantly, awkwardly let go of the hands of boys ready to spread their wings a bit
* reveled in being held by my husband's, even after all these years
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
These Same Hands
Posted by Nikki at 4:00 PM
Labels: growing in grace and truth, heart smiles
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6 comments:
Beautiful, friend. Makes me tear up a bit. :) Don't forget those hands have served those in your youth group, dinners to your church family, those in need in New Orleans and Pau Pau, New Guinea...(((Nikki)))
As you so often do with your posts -- tears are streaming down my face. What a beautiful picture you have painted with your words.
My sister and I were just pondering hands the other day as we looked at my Mom's hands as they remind us so much of our Grandma and bring back memories. We contemplated if either of us will have similar hands. I'd say they are "Old German hands" as your Mom describes them.
I will look at my hands in a whole new way now.
Thank you friend!
Amy
My 40 year old hands have recently received similar attention and pondering :) thank you for the post that reminds me of all the blessings we have in Christ.
Hugs,
annette
Lately I noticed my own hands were starting to look more like my mother's. Thank you for the reminder of the amazing journey of not only my own hands, but those of my mother's as well. Beautifully written by a beautiful heart.
Beautiful and I too have noticed my hands recently.
I think you could make this post into a special book for moms. Seriously. As I was reading it I was envisioning beautiful paintings, drawings or even photo's of a mothers hands, maybe even yours, nail bitten and all. They are beautiful hands because of all the beauty you have created and continue to create with them!
Love you and continually blessed by you!
I knew you were a kindred spirit...I too am a struggling nail biter;) Thank you for helping me stop and ponder the beautiful ways God has used my hands...oh that they would be old, crippled hands that have blessed many one day!!!
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