Each span is a different width.  Have we noticed?

Each finger is a slightly different length.  Have we noticed?

Each muscle has a different ability.  Have we noticed?

Holding hands brings intimacy to those holding the other’s hand.  When walking together alone with someone, we are together but thus still alone.  However, when walking hand-in-hand, we walk side-by-side, touching each other, guiding one another, protected, and desired.  Truly, I do not believe we would ever hold hands with our enemies, only those we love.

Not last night, but the night before last night, we sat at the table playing a game of chance, rolling dice, counting, and taking turns, hoping to win as many tiles as we could.  Then, at one particular moment, maybe after taking my turn, I turned over my hand and looked at my palm.  As I did, memories of my childhood came flooding back because in that season of life, I was fascinated by my hands and feet, by the oddities and strength they display and by the uniqueness each one conveys, even though they belong to the same body.

So, during the game of luck and as I studied my hand, to my right, a voice said, “Do you see something?” to which I replied, “Beauty and Oddness and Awe.”  Then we compared our hands.

My hands are wider in the breadth of palms than her hands—in their SPAN.

Her fingers of her hands are longer, more slender than my fingers—in their MEASURE.

The thickness of my hands exceeds the thickness of hers—in their WEIGHT.

The age of her hands is younger than the age of my hands—in their CALCULATION.

God’s Word speaks of mankind in relation to the greatness of God, of the humanness of man in relation to the majesty of Almighty God, and of the weakness of man’s hands and the power, strength, and embrace of the Hands of God, but do not believe me; READ with me & SEE.

See God, in His omnipotence, how he scoops up all the waters of the entire universe in the palm of HIS ONE HAND.

See God, in His might, how he holds the Milky Way inside the hollow of HIS SECOND HAND.

See God hold us, the dust of the earth, gently inside HIS HANDS.

Consider how God, in His strength, can place all of the world’s great mountains onto the scales with HIS HANDS.

GOD’S VAST GREATNESS CANNOT BE MATCHED!

GOD’S INFINITE POWER CANNOT BE UNDONE!

GOD’S LIMITLESS CARE CANNOT BE COMPARED!

Let us see God this day—REALLY SEE GOD!!!

Quite amazingly, we can see God just by studying the simplicity and uniqueness of our hands.

Thus, as we sat at the table studying the lines etched into the palms of our hands, comparing the differences seen, laughing over what each one of us was capable of holding, of doing, of controlling—only by our hands—the truth became apparent.

Our HANDS Reveal GOD!

Consider with me for a moment—HOW:

Our hands lift burdens, helping others to walk with less weight encumbering their steps.

Our hands carry the daily strains of others, allowing them to experience more freedom because their hands now remain free to do additional tasks.

Our hands grasp the hand of another, linking us together in intimacy, conveying the depth of our love for another, felt merely through the touch of the one’s hand we are holding.  Most assuredly, love becomes a welcome display for the world to see when we walk hand-in-hand with someone we love.  Walking, Guiding, Gently Leading, Tightening, Enveloping, Steadying, Conveying, and Helping.

Our hands envelope the expanse of another’s shoulders as we pull them into a deep and welcoming embrace, one of comfort and caring and love.

OUR HANDS REVEAL GOD TO THE WORLD!

He reminds us of the important work God provides for our HANDS to DO as we Journey through this life.

He also reminds us that we do not walk through this life alone, carrying our own load, but that as His children, we walk hand-in-hand with the Father, following His leading, secure in His protection, and intimately loved as we sense our hand inside the palm of Almighty God.

Yesterday, before I took my leave, I walked beside the others who had taken me in their car to the train station.  After we descended the steps and as we walked across the corridor, I took hold of the hand of a young girl God gave me six years ago.  Intimately, hand-in-hand, we walked together toward our destination, toward the place we would part to go our separate ways.  As I held onto her hand, my emotions leaked from my eyes as my heart became sad.  I knew our time together was quickly ending, coming to a close.

We stopped walking once we reached the platform near the tracks, eventually dropping our hands, only to turn, to hold one another tightly with our hands—in an embrace of love.

Then we parted and went our separate ways, although we remain connected through the words of our text messages as the kilometers pulled us further apart.

Today, the calendar reveals today’s date, and by our calculation, we have just begun this new year. We may receive many more days to Walk, to Help, to Love, to Give.  When the burdens and cares and difficulties of this year become so excruciatingly heavy, may we take refuge in God.  May we feel ourselves wrapped inside the palm of His hands.  May we sense the love of God protecting us and leading us and holding us by His Hands, forever and presently intimate.

Today, I end this writing with a beautiful passage written by the psalmist Asaph, who reminds us to see the Greatness & Vastness & Might found in our LORD.