Saturday, July 15, 2006

How many moms have this familiar poem on their fridge?

About preschool age it is a tradition in my family for each of my children to return from Sunday School with a grin on their face and this special gift in their hand. The picture is of little hand prints and this poem underneath it. I have recently posted a few on my fridge from my grandchildren! After some time I put each one away for safe keeping. Only to present them to my children framed years later. In fact when I adopted two of my girls they were teenagers and they noticed that I had done this ritual many times. So at the adoption party each one of the girls presented me with a framed picture of their hands. It doesn't matter that each girl was 16 & 17 at the time....What matters is I now have another set of hand prints to remind me of Gods gift to parents! And a childs unconditional love! Of course both pictures are now on my wall for the entire world to see:) I told you..."I am one of those obnoxious mothers (& grandmother) that has to brag about each child!" Both those that are born into the family or the children that God has given me through adoption!
Anyway, to stay on the topic, my oldest daughter is coming home from a cruise today. We have had her children for 10 days. As I passed the fridge on my way to my office I noticed the framed hand prints (from my 3 year-old twins). As frustrated as I have been at times with dirty hand prints and toys everywhere... I actually feel sad at the fact that they will be returning to their home:( So, today I will treasure those hand prints and the poem below it! God is an awesome God!!!!




Hands

Thank you Lord for dirty hands
That touch my stove and fridge;
For sticky little fingers that
Try to build a bridge.

For careless hands that go astray
In search of something new;
For hands to hold and show the way
As mothers often do.

For precious little hands in which
Great faith so abounds;
For that silly hands that reach
To touch a mother's frown.

And thank you for your guiding hand
That leads me to the light;
That lifts me when I stumble
And points me to the right.

As little hands reach out to me
To show them what to do,
I'm studied, reassured and loved
As I reach up to you.

Judith Peitsch

God bless all mothers...and grandmothers:)How many moms have this familiar poem on your fridge?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

On my bedroom wall, I have a plaque with my then two and a half year old and six week old son's handprints formed in clay.
Inscribed on the metal plate underneath is a similar poem:

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because we are so small
And always leave our fingerprints
On furniture and walls
But everyday we are growing up
And soon we will be so tall
That all those little handprints
Will be difficult to recall
So here are our current handprints
That you can put away
So you will know how our fingers looked
This year on Mother's Day.

Every morning, I wake up and look at those wee hands and thank God for allowing me to guide His children through their life here on earth. Their hands are much bigger now, and their challenges are too. And some days I wish it would be as simple as wiping off a fingerprint. Only through the grace of God, do we face each day and make our "mark" on the world...together.

God Bless

Diana Joy said...

That is soooo wonderful:) I will have to share this one with my daughters!!
Thanks friend!
xoxoxox
God Bless!