Eager Hands

Eager hands beg to be helpful. To make you proud, to do it just like you. To follow in your handprints.

It's so easy in our busy, speed of light lives to do it ourselves, make sure it's done right way your way. To get it done and move on. To ignore the hands so eager to get involved, the little hands that get in the way, the little hands that have to be taught and retaught to do something that you could do faster on your own- but what will they remember? That you were too busy to let them help, or that you took the time to show them, to make memories with them, to laugh with them. If you don't show them who will?

Several years ago we were caring for two foster boys, one was a baby the other was two and a half, plus we were taking care of grandma cottage who was in bad health. Life was busy! Little Bit loved to come with me to do morning chores, trekking through the dew covered grass in his little frog rain boots, overalls and cowboy hat clinging tightly to my hand or the other side of the feed bucket. He'd beg me to lift him so he could pour the chicken feed into the feeder or let him sprinkle it on the ground for them and then he'd stand there watching in wonder as the pecked at the food.


It would have been faster, easier to do it by myself. To not have to walk slow so little legs could keep up, to not have little hands "help" carry the feed bucket, to not have to pick up a little boy so he could feed the hens. I could have been done and on to a dozen other things, but you know what? I will always remember those moments, in the quiet early mornings. The birds singing cheerily, the morning light dancing through the branches of the orchard, an eager little hand in mine as he skipped along beside me.

Breathe. Take a moment and show them, teach them, encourage their curiosity in the world and let them help you.

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame... Psalm 127:3-5 NIV

You see eager hands grow up far to quickly, tomorrow they may not be there to slip their hand in yours and beg to help. Tomorrow they could be grown, treasure those hands while they are there, make the time to teach those hands, invest in those hands, because they are the future and they will learn how to care for there own children one day.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

There is a story in the bible, about the Israelites crossing the Jordan river. After they crossed the Lord told Joshua to take 12 rocks from the middle of the Jordan and carry them to where they would stay to be a testament of what the Lord had done for them and the journey He had taken them on.

In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’  tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7 NIV

Take the time to show those little eager hands you've been entrusted with your "stones" from the journey He has taken you on. Those stones were to be something they could touch, and see and hold in their hands but they needed mom and dad to tell them why those stones were important. Why they meant something. They needed someone to take time, slow down, take a breath and draw them close and teach them. To take those eager hands and lay them against the stone and tell them the stories of what He had done in their life.


Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture is taken from the New King James Version Copyright @ 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.