Led By a Strong Hand

Every time I read another  devotional by Amy Carmichael, I say, "Oh, this is my favorite one!" Then when I read the next one and the next one, I say, "Oh, this is my favorite one." 

One of my favorites is  found on pp. 15-17 in I Come Quietly to Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God's Presence.

At the beginning of that devotional, Amy talks about how God causes His word, like a strong hand, to reach out and take firm hold of us, leading into a deeper understanding of the truth and a fuller application of it to our lives.

As I reflected on that, I remembered a photo I'd  taken years ago. It's one of my favorites! It shows my husband having a firm, yet gentle, grasp of our grandson's hand. Michael (age 8) has willingly placed his hand in "Pop's" hand, eager to go wherever Pop wants to take him. Because of the great love they share, Pop would never lead him down harmful paths. Michael knows that. Therefore, he has no fear, no resistance, to being held in the grasp of Pop's hand.

Prayer: O Loving Father, may I be even more willing to place my hand in Yours and to eagerly go with You wherever You lead and to obediently do whatever You say.

Unity of Hands and Hearts

At the conclusion of a visit with two dear friends I rarely get to see, I said, "May I take a picture of you?"

"Certainly," they said. "Where would you like us to stand?"

They went to the spot I'd suggested and, without any prompting from me, reached for each other's hand.

When I saw what they had instinctively done, I realized that sweet gesture was so typical of them.  While observing them through the years, I'd seen how tenderly they loved and cared for one another and how they'd always faced life together...hand in hand and heart to heart.

Now, that's a beautiful picture!

...a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; 

and they shall become one flesh.

 Genesis 2:24, NASB

The Answer

When I learned a friend was scheduled to undergo a serious medical procedure, I began to wonder what I might say or do that would help her feel less anxious as she waited for the appointed time. Although I didn’t know exactly what she was feeling, I could definitely empathize with her since I’d felt anxious many times when facing surgery and other scary situations.

With a prayerful, seeking heart, I went about my chores, believing that the words to share with her would be given to me. Sure enough, I suddenly remembered and began humming a verse of a song (“I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”) that has often comforted me as I’ve experienced the truth of its message. Like its composer (Alison Krauss)—and everyone else—I have no idea what tomorrow will hold—or even what’s in store in the next minute! But daily I choose to cling to Jesus’ promise: “I will be with you always” (Matthew 28:20).  

And since He keeps every promise and since He knows what lies ahead, I willingly put my hand in His, trusting Him to take care of everything that concerns me.

Does that mean my life will be easy all the time? No. But it does mean I will always have peace in the midst of whatever “storm” assails me, for I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He loves me and is with me at all times and that I can trust Him to cause all things to work together for His glory and my good. (See Romans 8:28.)

 *******

The eternal God is your refuge, 

and His everlasting arms are under you, 

to hold you close, 

to comfort you, 

to lift you above your circumstances. 

(Based on Deuteronomy 33:27.)

*******

All who keep close to God, 

shall be kept safe by Him.

~Matthew Henry

He Holds My Hand!

Each time, I’m in situations where someone needs a steadying hand, the person invariably reaches for my hand, even though I can better steady her and keep her from falling if she’d let me hold onto her. But since hand-holding makes her feel more secure (than it actually is), we hold hands until we reach a place where she feels at ease.

My husband holds our youngest grandson's hand. I took the photo
and applied the special effects.

Whenever young children feel insecure or frightened, they instinctively reach for the hand of a loving, adult. There’s just something very reassuring when we place our hand inside a hand that’s stronger and more capable of protecting us. 

Lovers hold hands, too, relishing the feelings created by the warmth of closeness and other pleasant emotions.

Knowing how special hand-holding is, I like to read the many verses in the Bible that remind me that God is holding my hand, that He most certainly can be trusted to love me and protect me, just as He did those to whom the original assurance was made. One of my “go-to” verses is Isaiah 41:13 (ESV). I turn there often and “listen” to God say to me:

For I, the LORD your God,

Hold your right hand;

It is I who say to you, “Fear not,

I am the one who helps you.”

Wow! Hand-holding doesn't ever get any better than 

that, does it, Dear Reader? May we realize this: It's impossible to hold hands without being near one another!!!

Wabi-Sabi

At the conclusion of a Toastmasters meeting, the leader said, “The theme for our next meeting will be wabi-sabi.”

Well…that theme was quite different from recent ones, such as enthusiasm, being prepared, rise and shine, etc., all of which were easily understood. But wabi-sabi????

Naturally, I made a bee-line for her after the meeting and smiled as I asked, “Just what is wabi-sabi?”

“It’s a Japanese word that means a way of seeing beauty in things that are imperfect, like a cracked vase. People who understand wabi-sabi intentionally place the vase so that the imperfection can be seen rather than hidden.”

After the meeting, I logged on to the internet to find out more about wabi-sabi. I learned that ancients Greeks once prized beauty; westerners desire perfection; but those who practice wabi-sabi value authenticity. They see beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent, and/or incomplete. For example, they find beauty in things that are rough, irregular, natural, rustic…things with “character,” such as a table with a few dings and dongs, a chipped cup, wrinkled faces, etc. 

      My goodness! I thought. I’ve been practicing wabi-sabi for years and didn’t even know it! To prove it, I looked through my collection of digital photos and found many images I’d made of what I considered beautiful “finds.” I’d found them in unexpected places. For example: an outhouse made of rough wood standing beside acres of sunflowers in full bloom, outgrown children’s shoes being used as small planters, an old worn-out shoe providing a home to a plant in need of care, textured walls in an abandoned building, dried blooms silhouetted again a November sky…

 One of my all-time favorite wabi-sabi photos is one of my mother’s hands, taken when she was 86 years old. I liked it so much I even wrote a poem about her hands and placed those words onto the photo itself.

The more we accept the imperfect elements in our environment and consider them interesting and beautiful, the more willing we’ll be to let go of our relentless quest for perfection—not only in things but also in people—including ourselves!