Hands

One Saturday morning my husband and I were lying in bed trying desperately to avoid getting up. We had already taken advantage of the fact the boys did not know we were awake yet and moved to our sides of the bed. After a couple of minutes my husband reached across the bed and put his hand on my shoulder and left it there. It was there for a long time and of course my body became desensitized to its presence. I had to keep thinking about it in order to feel it. I did this several times. After about 30 minutes of lying in bed, the craving for coffee overcame us and we got out of bed. The noise (fighting, clamoring) from our boys downstairs was also a contributing factor.

As I got up I started thinking about my husband’s hand on my shoulder, how desensitized to it I got after just a few seconds, and how I had to keep thinking about it to feel it. It struck me the same can be applied to God’s hands on our life.

As Christians we always know God is there but we slip into thinking we do not feel his presence or become so comfortable with just the thought, we become desensitized and do not see how he is guiding us or touching our lives with his hands. A friend pointed me to Psalm 139:5-12.

Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art here; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy hand will lay hold of me.”

In the most hopeful and positive parts of my life I still need to be aware of God’s presence in my life. I need to praise him for what he has done and what he is doing in my life. I have to make the conscious effort to bring it to the surface. I cannot become so complacent I do not feel his hand on my life. The hardest time for me to think about God’s hand in my life is when I am in despair and feel hopeless. I need to realize He is guiding my life even if I do not know the plan. Sometimes I think the plan is for me to realize how much I need Him and that He is here for me. I need to feel His hand on my shoulder, or even over my mouth. I need to seek His comfort, wrap his words around my heart like a my most comfortable quilt. Let His words protect me, fill me so full of hope and possibility that the garbage inside has no where to go but out.