Her Beautiful Hands

Before we get too far, I wanted to explain another very important element of this blog: 

My hands.

When I was about 16, I worked at Subway for a few years.  Since it is a restaurant, you must comply with company regulations and regularly wash your hands.  So I did.  But the continuous washing and rubbing with rough paper towels gave me contact eczema.  At the time, I just figured it was dry skin and it came and went with the cold season and constant washing. 

So after a few years a part near my right, pinkie knuckle continued to get worse and more of my hands around my knuckles started to crack, occasionally bleed, peel, the whole works.  Then a few years ago they got so bad that, while at church, I went forward to have them prayed over.  One woman, after praying, told me she got a beautiful vision of my hands.  They were a hard-working, woman's hands.  They raised children, cleaned, took care of family...  I was very touched and got emotional.  I felt like this was a minor suffering I had to endure for the sake of my family and home.  I could deal with that.

Then just recently, you may have seen, a woman on a YouTube video tell about her career as a hand model.  She eerily stroked her hands as if she were making love to them and told the interviewer how perfect they were in minute detail.  The video showed how she wore gloves and wouldn't even open her own doors, so careful she was of her hands.  At first I was envious.  Her hands were beautiful.  Her skin was smooth and clear, the nails and cuticles were perfect and even the shape of her hands were slender and lovely.  I have rough, red, scaly skin and short nails with ragged cuticles.  Not to mention I have my dad's short fingers and large palms.  My hands could almost be a man's.  So I did envy her.  But after a few days and the more I thought about this creepy woman, I started to feel sorry for her.  She had never changed a baby's diaper, never really done dishes (except for holding a sponge by a plate for an ad), never could touch the softness of a child's hair...  She didn't have anything to show for her work except money.  Then what happens when this beauty fades?  She'll be left with nothing. 

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."  Proverbs 31:30 NIV

After thinking about these things, I looked at my own hands in a new light!  They were beautiful!  I have given my husband foot rubs, cut out paper dolls for the kids, sewn on buttons, polished windows, kneaded bread, planted vegetables and flowers, crocheted baby blankets, bathed my children, ...the list goes on and on about the things I am grateful for that I have done with my hands.

Hence the name - Her Beautiful Hands.  I want to focus on hands, all kinds of beautiful hands.

You probably have beautiful hands too!  Because it's not about the hands themselves, but about the heart and soul behind them.  If you want me to feature your hands, send me a picture of your hands and a list of things they have done recently.  You're not bragging here, it's about giving you and others the encouragement to do more and to see what you have already done.   Give as much or as little detail about your personal self as you wish since I will post it on here.  The hands are just a symbol of your accomplishments.  Even if you sang in a choir, you may not have done much with your hands, more with your mouth, but it's still something worthy that YOU did!

I hope to hear from you soon!


KUDOS:  I babysat my adorable nephews so my SIL could get groceries.