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Look at your hands. Do you see wrinkles? Do you see smooth skin and healthy nails? Well, the years go by and the hands begin to show our age, don’t they? The skin gets thinner and the veins become easier to see. I know mine do. It’s all about aging and years of using these hands to work, play and use with purpose.
I remember sitting on Grandpa’s lap and looking at his hands and noticing, “Wow! Grandpa has scrunchy OLD hands!” What I didn’t focus on was that those hands were holding me and patting me on the cheek and the top of my head. Those hands clapped when I did something good. Those hands wiped my tears. Those hands were pressed together when he prayed. Those hands held the Bible when he led us in family devotions when we visited him in Michigan.
Thinking back on my parents’ hands… they didn’t have as many wrinkles, but they worked just as hard, they folded their hands in prayer, held the Bible, clapped and held me, just like Grandpa’s. I remember my dad at the pulpit and he would hold his Bible high in the air in those hands when he preached. His hands also baptized many people, held someone’s shoulder as he prayed with them, tickled us kids until we screamed with delight. My mother’s hands made all the meals, cleaned our clothes, put bandages on us, folded together in prayer, played the piano when I sang, etc.
What kind of handprints did your grandparents and parents leave on your life? Were they hands of love? Were they hands of comfort? Strength? A good work ethic? Teachable discipline or hurtful punishment?
Now, the questions is….What kind of handprints are you leaving on your children’s and grandchildren’s lives? Hmmmm. What will they remember about YOUR hands?
This Tuesday, September 6, Women of Faith speaker, Thelma Wells (aka Mama T), will be our guest on Chained No More Talk Radio. She has begun a new ministry called, “Generation Love.” Its goal is to help unite generations of families together again in our world. She will discuss what can divide families and how to prevent it, but also how to reconnect families in love and in the Lord. She is a woman full of the love of the Lord Jesus with an amazing sense of humor. Tune in at 2pm ET at www.toginet.com. You will be blessed!
In the meantime, look at your hands again and think about the handprint you are leaving on your children and their children and their children….Be intentional and use those hands with love and prayer.