Forefront Families

When my children were very small, I used to hold their little hands in mine and then I would speak to them - I mean actually speak to their hands.  I would say, “What beautiful, beautiful hands these are.  I wonder what these hands are going to achieve for you and for God in your lifetime?”  Then I would scrunch their hands up into a little ball within my hands and kiss each one.  Even as they got older, I would gather their hands into mine and talk to their hands.  It would always be the same question, “What great things these hands can achieve.  What will it be?” 

      Our hands are possibly the most significant part of our body.  Imagine how you would survive if you suddenly had no hands.  You couldn’t dress, eat or clean your own teeth unless someone helped you.  In every aspect of our daily lives we seem to be using our hands to touch, grasp, push, pull or steady something.  We use our hands to create, to give comfort and to protect.  Our hands help us to express ourselves.  My husband couldn’t talk if he had to sit on his hands!

      The Bible talks about the significance of hands.  The Lord ‘upholds us with His hand’.  ‘No-one can snatch them (the redeemed) out of my hand’. On the cross, Jesus said to His Father, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”  My all time favorite verse is Isaiah 49 v 16 where God says, “See, I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands.”  That means that every time God looks at His hands, He sees my name and remembers me.  How fantastic is that?   My name is forever in front of His gaze.  Wow!  God’s hands are depicted as a place of love, safety and security.  Jesus’ hands gave healing, comfort, courage and sacrifice. 

      What would He want us to teach our children about having hands of significance?   We need to train our children to use their hands in a positive way – all the time.  Our actions will always speak louder than words, and sometimes a gentle touch or hug means more than anything else.  When we hold and caress our children, they learn what being comforted feels like and will usually want to do the same to others as they grow up.  We can teach our kids how to put their hands to creative use by being creative ourselves.

      By talking to my children’s hands, I was creating the awareness of choice and possibilities.  Hands are not just appendages that work without thought to hold things.  They are the instruments of care, love, giving and protection.  We need to guard our children against using their hands to hurt, take or destroy.  We have all heard the saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s tools.”  Honestly, I think that if we really understood that our minds, mouths, hands and feet are the proactive force that influences our choices, we would feel we had more control on the outcomes of our lives.

     How about praying out loud over your children’s hands on a regular basis.  Ask God to guide their actions and help them to bring comfort and encouragement to those around them.  Periodically ask your kids’ what their hands did today that was a blessing to God or others.

If you have any thoughts or stories on this subject,please contact us at management@forefrontfamilies.org