A Mother's Hands
Today as I sat in church holding my restless 1 1/2 year old, I felt her body get heavy so I grabbed my phone to make sure she was asleep. I turned it on 'selfie' mode and snapped a picture. As I looked at the picture of my beautiful little girl sounds asleep on my lap I noticed my hand gently holding her in place.
It looked different today than any other day. It looked like a 'mom' hand. I can't quite express in words how my hand looked but you can see for yourself.
Like I said in my previous post, marriage and motherhood happened very rapidly for me. Each day as I reflect upon those God-given callings I learn something new about myself. As I pondered the look of my hand I had a few thoughts that I felt were worth sharing.
First, what does having 'mom' hands even mean?
To me, the meaning runs deeper than I can even comprehend. It means tickles, hugs, high-fives, changing diapers, cleaning up toys, picking up a crying baby or child, doing dishes, teaching, comforting, leading and SO much more.
Think for a moment, what do your hands do for you? How do you use them to mother?
Now pat yourself on the back using those hands that do so much to lift, strengthen and help your little ones because you are doing an awesome job as a mother!
Secondly, what am I doing to make my hands more like the Savior's hands?
One of my favorite songs about the Savior is called His Hands by Kenneth Cope. If you haven't ever listened to it, you should! In the song, Christ's hands are described in many ways and I am reminded of whose hands I want mine to emulate.
I tried choosing just a few lyrics to share but I couldn't.
His hands
Tools of creation
Stronger than nations
Power without end
And yet through them
We find our truest Friend
His hands Sermons of kindness
Healing men’s blindness
Halting years of pain
Children waiting
To be held again
His hands would serve His whole life through
Showing man what hands might do
Giving, ever giving endlessly
Each day was filled with selflessness
And I’ll not rest Till I make of my hands what they could be
Till these hands become like those from Galilee
His hands
Warming a beggar
Lifting a leper
Calling back the dead
Breaking bread
Five thousand fed
His hands
Hushing contention
Pointing to Heaven
Ever free of sin
Then bidding man
To follow Him
His hands
Clasp in agony
As he lay pleading
Bleeding in the garden
While just moments away
Other hands betray Him out of greed
Shameful greed
And then His hands
Are trembling
Straining to carry
The beam that they’d be nailed to
As He stumbles through the streets
Heading for the hill
On which He’d die
He would die
They take His hands
His mighty hands
Those gentle hands
And then they pierce them
They pierce them
He lets them
Because of love
From birth to death was selflessness
And clearly now I see Him with His hands calling to me
And though I’m not yet as I would be
He has shown me how I could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
© 1989 Mohrgüd Music (BMI)
If you've ever questioned if anyone understands what you are going through as you learn how to be a mother, then you should scroll back up and read those lyrics again. The Savior's hands, these hands, are more than just the perfect example, they are our solace.
It looked different today than any other day. It looked like a 'mom' hand. I can't quite express in words how my hand looked but you can see for yourself.
Like I said in my previous post, marriage and motherhood happened very rapidly for me. Each day as I reflect upon those God-given callings I learn something new about myself. As I pondered the look of my hand I had a few thoughts that I felt were worth sharing.
First, what does having 'mom' hands even mean?
To me, the meaning runs deeper than I can even comprehend. It means tickles, hugs, high-fives, changing diapers, cleaning up toys, picking up a crying baby or child, doing dishes, teaching, comforting, leading and SO much more.
Think for a moment, what do your hands do for you? How do you use them to mother?
Now pat yourself on the back using those hands that do so much to lift, strengthen and help your little ones because you are doing an awesome job as a mother!
Secondly, what am I doing to make my hands more like the Savior's hands?
One of my favorite songs about the Savior is called His Hands by Kenneth Cope. If you haven't ever listened to it, you should! In the song, Christ's hands are described in many ways and I am reminded of whose hands I want mine to emulate.
I tried choosing just a few lyrics to share but I couldn't.
His hands
Tools of creation
Stronger than nations
Power without end
And yet through them
We find our truest Friend
His hands Sermons of kindness
Healing men’s blindness
Halting years of pain
Children waiting
To be held again
His hands would serve His whole life through
Showing man what hands might do
Giving, ever giving endlessly
Each day was filled with selflessness
And I’ll not rest Till I make of my hands what they could be
Till these hands become like those from Galilee
His hands
Warming a beggar
Lifting a leper
Calling back the dead
Breaking bread
Five thousand fed
His hands
Hushing contention
Pointing to Heaven
Ever free of sin
Then bidding man
To follow Him
His hands
Clasp in agony
As he lay pleading
Bleeding in the garden
While just moments away
Other hands betray Him out of greed
Shameful greed
And then His hands
Are trembling
Straining to carry
The beam that they’d be nailed to
As He stumbles through the streets
Heading for the hill
On which He’d die
He would die
They take His hands
His mighty hands
Those gentle hands
And then they pierce them
They pierce them
He lets them
Because of love
From birth to death was selflessness
And clearly now I see Him with His hands calling to me
And though I’m not yet as I would be
He has shown me how I could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
© 1989 Mohrgüd Music (BMI)
Motherhood is hard, then add in all the negativity in the world and the pressure to be a picture perfect mother and it becomes almost too overwhelming. This song reminded me that as Christ was going through the most challenging time in His life he was also being betrayed by one of his Apostles.
His disciple, His friend betrayed him.
Yet His hands remained steady. He pushed forward and He reaches out to me to lead me and comfort me. His hands are truly an example of selflessness; a prime attribute of motherhood.
Finally, gratitude.
As I thought about my hands and the Savior's hands, I was overwhelmed with an amazing sense of gratitude. I have been blessed with many opportunities to use my hands for good, some of which I have taken and some of which I wish I had taken. Each time the Savior used His hands for good it was an intentional choice. He wanted His hands to used for good.
The same goes with our hands. Each day we make choices as a mother to use our hands for some type of influence. All those choices make up what our hands are and the Savior shows us what our hands can be.
Today, I am grateful to have 'mom' hands. Hands that have a lot of room for growth and improvement but hands that help me fulfill my role as a mother in more ways than I can name.
How do you use your hands for good?
Comments
Post a Comment