In the Palm of His Hand

Hands intrique me. One can tell much about a person by the way their hands appear. Hands betray the heavy work one does or their lack of hygiene. Hands can reveal a hint into the type of work a person does. A bump on the middle finger of the right hand may suggest they push a pencil much of the time. Paint around the nails suggests one may be a painting contractor. Greasy hands belong to the rugged type who work on engines. Hands with fingernails bit down to the quick reveals a person that is high strung. I have seen men's and women's hands that are finely manicured. In the last ten years it isn't uncommon to see perfectly shaped and polished nails on women. Manicures are in vogue. I have seen men wear clear polish on their nails. This preoccupation with our fingernails can mean a couple of things. It can express a pride in one's appearance that may be healthy or not so healthy. It could mean people make their living using their hands so manicured hands are an important part of their presentations. Personally, I can't imagine working with long fake fingernails. For me, wearing them would inhibit my production. While I love the look of perfect nails, I can't make them work for my lifestyle. I know my manicure would be a wasted effort the first time I did a sink full of dishes. I try to keep my nails looking presentable in their natural state. It works for me most of the time.
This all may suggest that I observe people's hands and indeed I do. When I was young, it was a man's hands that would be attractive to me. My husbands hands are very precious to me. When I look at them I remember the effort he made with them to support me, the way that he cradled our children with them, the way he tickles the grandchildren before he swoops them up in his arms for a hug, the gentleness with which he has wiped tears from my eyes. With them he has shown his deep affection for me. The Bible tells us that God's hands are important for many things. The thing I hold most dear is written for us in Isaiah 49:16.
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. It doesn't say that he has engraved my name in his hands. It says He has engraved ME in his hands. All the support of my husband's hands doesn't hold a candle to the significance of being ENGRAVED IN GOD'S HANDS. What a comfort! He won't let me go, but more importantly, He can't let me go. I'm engraved in those hands. I'm there for good.