Hands....

The very first things I noticed about our son when he was born, were his very long fingers....and of course the white hair that stuck straight up.

I wondered mostly about those fingers, wondered if God had a specific purpose for them. I figured he must have or He wouldn't have made them such a size. I would kiss them when he was very tiny and I would pray for those little, big fingers......

Then of course, I wondered again if those fingers would be creative in some way. Heaven knows that a gift like that wouldn't come from my genes!!! But as he grew, he would follow his father around with screw drivers, drills, hammers and anything he could find to "fix" things. "Legos" would be put together with lightening speed. Drawings were made of various things...frogs were a favorite. Then came the sound one day from the basement....music. One thing led to another and he became a musician.... followed by books from various places on how to "make your own guitar", and he became a luthier......and a guitar technican as well.

It fascinates me to see how Matt has acquired that gift of creativity from his father. When Matt was younger, I loved to watch him and his dad, as each would be creating various things, articles to be used for service, whether a guitar or a house..........the two of them have that wonderful gift of creativity.

I think Mary, the mother of Jesus, thought about Jesus' hands too, when he was very young. What would those hands do, how would they be of service and would He follow in his father, Joseph's footsteps as a carpenter or would there be a higher purpose.

She probably watched her son....as I watched mine. Watched his hands become vessels of service to His Heavenly Father. They healed, and soothed....they bid people to follow, they folded together in prayer and they lay outstretched while nails were pounded into each one.

I guess it's how and whether we offer our hands to God at all. We can lay them outstretched or we can keep them tight-fisted. Which of the two can be of service or.........sacrifice?