Hands In Our Lives

As I sat at the Christmas Ladies Banquet, I looked around the room at the many
women there. I had a thought about all of the hands I could see in that room.

The devotion was on 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter.  The speaker explained
that cooking a beautiful meal made you only a cook, not a homemaker, without love.
That creating beautiful matching Christmas decorations in your home makes you only
a decorator, not a wife, without love. That buying and wrapping presents to give to
your children makes you only a gift giver, not a mom, without love.

Each woman sitting at the tables has a heart full of love.  That love is given to all those
in her life, her family, her church, her community and her country.

It is said, "The hand that rocks the craddle rules the world."
I say, " The hand that works in love gives joy and strength to the world."

As I thought about this I prayed, "Jesus, pour your Spirit into the hearts of these women
so that they might touch lives with your love in their hands."

How you depend on women, Lord!  To comfort a broken heart or to help in times of need.
You know the strong passion a woman can have to stand up for those she loves.
You know how a woman would work to exhaustion to help the loved one who is sick.
And you know that sometimes only their hands can give the inspiration to live.

These hands I see have been through so much.  Some have seen more sorrow then
any could bear.  Some are working now in situations they don't know how long
they can endure.  Yet, some young hands don't know what the future holds.

You, Lord, know that the tired, old hands that I see have strength beyond
what they might lift.
             
             Strength to endure, to persevere, to see beauty in ashes.  They touch others
             with that strength and love; they lead others onward to the prize; they give
             out the power that Jesus pours down.

He counts on these hands.   These hands that belong to grandmas, mothers, aunts,
sisters and daughters.  These hands are your vessels to do the work only they can do.

May each pair of hands hear the heart as it listens to your gentle Spirit giving:
                                                                                                            
                            WISDOM, GUIDANCE, HOPE AND LOVE

May these hands be your hands to show
                                                                      your strength,
                                                                                                your joy and
                                                                                                                   your love.