The blessing of hands, holding brooms, hoes, planting, emptying bags of dirt, tying knots for a hammock under a tree, slicing lemons, brushing damp hair on a tired head.
“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Ecc. 11:6)
“I want to choose,” my littlest said. “I should be able to choose if I want to work.” He said this after being given the chore of washing his dad’s car. One brother was given the chore of cleaning the garage. A third helped with completing the raised garden – that one require much muscle.
The littlest guy, he was voluntarily helping me make desserts and lemonade, having finished washing the car. As he stood at the counter, his still-little-boy hands slicing lemons and oranges we talked of big and little things.
“It’s our job to teach you how to work. Right now you don’t always have choices because we have to prepare you to be fit for usefulness in your future job,” I explained, pulling from Webster’s 1828 definition of Education (1828 Noah Webster Dictionary)
“I think I should have a choice,” he said, pushed the topic cheekily. I sighed. This desire for independence bursts out early in these boys, this desire to be in charge of their destiny.
I mentioned Jonah – and what happened to him when he tried to avoid a job he didn’t like. Jonah didn’t want that job, but God wanted Jonah to do that job.
Somehow, my little lemon slicer grabbed the story line and took off. When I tried to join in, he said, “This is my story, mom.”
We worked together, while he told me about Jonah trying to sneak away from what God wanted him to do, getting thrown into the sea by his sea-faring peers, being swallowed and eventually, when he agreed to do the job God wanted him to do, being thrown up.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones” (Luke 16:10) kept whispering its way through my mind – but how do you persuade a little boy that if he does his chores really well, he will be given bigger chores? When bigger and better do really equate in terms of job size? At least in an 11 year old’s world.
My hands stirring Swiss Chard, Feta Cheese, onions and garlic. My husband’s hands cutting out heart-shaped beignets(French donuts) to deep fry for family brunch.
My hands stirring blackberry sauce, shaping scones. His hands wiping up the kitchen with me – as we prepare for family gathering.
Our hands working together, praying together in the twilight where we stood under the Oak, hands held, praying for doors to open, for revelation, for guidance – we stood there believing for His plan.
“From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him” (Proverbs 12:14)
Hands playing with sweet grandbaby girl’s feet, – and came the story, with baby feet bicycling and my hands, a grandmother’s hands playing
“Let’s go on a bicycle trip, you and I
A bicycle trip down a country road,
. . . a story was born.
“And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16)
The blessing of the hands. Simple, everyday living, turning my hands to the work, to the living God has given me. Some days, my hands bless. Some days they fall short.
My hands, though, they don’t reach their potential.
Jesus laid hands on the leper
And he was cleansed (Matt 8:2-4)
Jesus laid hands on an infirm, bowed-over woman
And she was made straight (Luke 13:13)
Jesus laid hands on the blind man,
And the blind man saw (Mark 8:23)
“When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them” (Luke 4:40)
Oh, yes, the work of my hands fall short of what God enabled them to do. They can only do jobs the size of my faith. I pray that my faith grow, that God-in-Me work its way out through my hands to touch lives in the way God made me to touch lives. If he has called the heart of these hands to heal, to cleanse, to make straight, to open eyes for truth – all physically and spiritually, I pray that whatever binds them from being what He empowered them to do is loosened.
For now, the blessing of my hands comes from the cutting of the chard, the playing with baby feet, the tending of my garden, and the laying on of hands in a call to prayer.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,” (Ecc. 9:10)
455-465 blessings listed above
466) a 7 a.m. Saturday morning date to watch squirrels
467) orange carrots, fresh chard, tomatoes and delicious-smelling onions at the Farmer’s Market
468) in my hammock, looking up through the trees, looking at all the “Y”s – thanks to Jennifer at Getting Down with Jesus, I saw Yahweh everywhere! It makes sense that the trees praise Yahweh when every branch is laden with reminders of Yahweh!
469) spotting my teen in the hammock on a Holiday afternoon
470) The teen, swinging in the hammock now a senior
471) a pontoon ride, on a lake, reminding me, all that water, of the Holy Spirit
472) For sweet friends, breaking bread over lunch.
473) my oldest son, at the family gathering, loving my Swiss Chard dish
474) Empty plates once filled with scones, beignets, chard, asperagus with Hollandaise sauce
475) My raised garden bed, built by my husband filled with plants, seeds, hope and faith
476) babygirl falling asleep in the shawl I knit, that matched her outfit
477) this job that I go to from 8 to 4:30, some days from 6 or 7 a.m. to 4:30 to catch up, that has helped me use my time more richly
478) Hope in the sun creeping through my window sill every morning!
479) Green buddings on our transplanted hydrangea!
This is such a beautiful post! I know that work the Lord has for me has gone undone lately. It is sad but true. I wonder what might of been if I had been up to the task. My boys often wiggle our of jobs also, We read created for work last year and it was powerful! Thank you for this wonderful post true and poetically beautiful.
The blessing of hands. I’m sometimes like your little boy: I want to be able to choose whether or not I work. 🙂 And I want to want to choose to work, even though that’s not always my natural inclination. You’re a good mama; keep at it.
I love how you invite us into your world, into your kitchen, into your lemon slicing. You always challenge me to look at my parenting and look up at the same time.
Thanks, friend.
all our hands do…we can do to the glory of God…sweet…sweet post…blessings to you~
Sometimes we are not at that place where we long for more work, better work. It is hard to see beauty in the mundane chores. But this post makes me smile and know that every bit of effort is never wasted.
Just love it, had to read it at least two times slowly reading it out loud, good writing.
You often inspire me to be a better parent by the way you encourage your kids to participate in family life. Thank you.
I agree. As I read, I was remembering with regret that I shooed my Wild Orange away today when she wanted to help fold laundry…just b/c I wanted to fold laundry in peace.
Such a wonderful post, MJ! I loved this. I love how you teach your boys. I told you this before: it takes a special woman to be a mom to all boys!
Love this!
Oh girl … you are such a good, good mama. I’m going to remember this one.
And the Ys? In your list of thanks? I saw that. Smiling here in Iowa. And grateful for our friendship through these cyber-windows.
I often tell my son that…”he needs to be faithful and be trusted with little things before bigger things are entrusted into his hands…” Only to help me stop and ponder at my own work 🙂 Afraid to miss His assigned purpose.
Awesome post sister…What busy family and work is good! What a great example you and your husband are to your children!!! God bless.
Smiles and blessings! Thank you for sharing them here with us, with me (:
A fellow counter of all His good gifts,
-t-
Made me smile… the poetic bit about your kids was very special. Loved it! Good Mom, you are.
I love how, at the end, you reveal: you’re thinking on other, riskier uses for those hands.
Summer is here and the summer chore lists have been rolled out. What a great story about Jonah and running away from the job God wanted him to do, I need to share that with my two.
Great post!
“Oh, yes, the work of my hands fall short of what God enabled them to do. They can only do jobs the size of my faith.” Love this line! Much wisdom here. Thank you!
What a beautifully written post on the work of our hands!
This is an incredibly hard concept to learn and even harder to teach. This was beautiful, Maryleigh, and I know I’ll be watching my hands all weekend as they go about their works.