Grandpa's Hands

[annie]

Grandpa’s Hands
GRANDPA, SOME NINETY PLUS YEARS, SAT FEEBLY ON THE PATIO BENCH. HE
DIDN'T MOVE, JUST SAT WITH HIS HEAD DOWN STARING AT HIS HANDS. WHEN
I SAT DOWN BESIDE HIM HE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE MY PRESENCE AND THE
LONGER I SAT, I WONDERED IF HE WAS OK.

FINALLY, NOT REALLY WANTING TO DISTURB HIM BUT WANTING TO CHECK ON
HIM AT THE SAME TIME, I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OK.
HE RAISED HIS HEAD AND LOOKED AT ME AND SMILED. "YES, I'M FINE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING," HE SAID IN A CLEAR STRONG VOICE.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO DISTURB YOU, GRANDPA, BUT YOU WERE JUST SITTING
HERE STARING AT YOUR HANDS AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE OK," I
EXPLAINED TO HIM.

"HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT YOUR HANDS," HE ASKED. "I MEAN REALLY
LOOKED AT YOUR HANDS?"

I SLOWLY OPENED MY HANDS AND STARED DOWN AT THEM. I TURNED THEM
OVER, PALMS UP AND THEN PALMS DOWN. NO, I GUESS I HAD NEVER REALLY
LOOKED AT MY HANDS AS I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT THE POINT HE WAS MAKING.

GRANDPA SMILED AND RELATED THIS STORY: "STOP AND THINK FOR A MOMENT
ABOUT THE HANDS YOU HAVE, HOW THEY HAVE SERVED YOU WELL THROUGHOUT
YOUR YEARS. THESE HANDS, THOUGH WRINKLED, SHRIVELED, AND WEAK HAVE
BEEN THE TOOLS I HAVE USED ALL MY LIFE TO REACH OUT AND GRAB AND
EMBRACE LIFE. THEY PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH AND CLOTHES ON MY BACK.
AS A CHILD MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME TO FOLD THEM IN PRAYER.
THEY TIED MY SHOES AND PULLED ON MY BOOTS.
THEY HAVE BEEN DIRTY, SCRAPED AND RAW, SWOLLEN AND BENT.
THEY WERE UNEASY AND CLUMSY WHEN I TRIED TO HOLD MY NEWBORN SON.
DECORATED WITH MY WEDDING BAND THEY SHOWED THE WORLD THAT I WAS
MARRIED AND LOVED SOMEONE SPECIAL.
THEY TREMBLED AND SHOOK WHEN I BURIED MY PARENTS AND SPOUSE AND
WALKED MY DAUGHTER DOWN THE AISLE.
THEY HAVE COVERED MY FACE, COMBED MY HAIR, AND WASHED AND CLEANSED
THE REST OF MY BODY.
THEY HAVE BEEN STICKY AND WET, BENT AND BROKEN, DRIED AND RAW.
AND TO THIS DAY, WHEN NOT MUCH OF ANYTHING ELSE OF ME WORKS REAL
WELL, THESE HANDS HOLD ME UP, LAY ME DOWN, AND AGAIN CONTINUE TO
FOLD IN PRAYER.
THESE HANDS ARE THE MARK OF WHERE I'VE BEEN AND THE RUGGEDNESS OF
MY LIFE.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT WILL BE THESE HANDS THAT GOD WILL REACH
OUT AND TAKE WHEN HE LEADS ME HOME.
AND WITH MY HANDS HE WILL LIFT ME TO HIS SIDE AND THERE I WILL USE
THESE HANDS TO TOUCH THE FACE OF CHRIST."

I WILL NEVER LOOK AT MY HANDS THE SAME AGAIN. BUT I REMEMBER GOD
REACHED OUT AND TOOK MY GRANDPA'S HANDS AND LED HIM HOME.

WHEN MY HANDS ARE HURT OR SORE I THINK OF GRANDPA. I KNOW HE HAS
BEEN STROKED AND CARESSED AND HELD BY THE HANDS OF GOD. I, TOO, WANT
TO TOUCH THE FACE OF GOD AND FEEL HIS HANDS UPON MY FACE.

[wendy]

wow, what powerful and loving words