The Farmer's Hands and Morning Kisses

 The Farmer's Hands

Every hand tells a story
about our life and character.
Hands provide inward glimpses
and reveal who we really are.

Our hands cannot be hidden
they display the effects of time.
They show hard work and dedication
Through every wrinkle and line.








There are hands that hold
and hands that share,
Hands that break bread
and hands that fold in prayer.

God left his seal upon our hands
so we may come to know our purpose.
Our fingerprints are God's signet
as unique as our gifts and talents.

The artist creates beauty
with the work of their hands.
The farmer's hands tell a story
of working the land.










Though fingers are calloused
and rough they appear.
Those scars and soiled nails
are evidence of what's held dear.

Etched in the lifelines
the dirt and grime of every day.
With time scars heal
and grime is washed away.










My own hands are not as soft
as they once were.

The skin on the sides of my index fingers
never comes quite clean.
No matter how short I keep my nails
dirt still finds a way underneath.

While they are less outwardly beautiful
I am joyful.
They declare more effectively than I ever could
that they are useful. 








"I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land." ~ Psalm 143:6

"Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are in My view continuously." ~Isaiah 49:16

Father, use my hands to bless others and glorify You. Strengthen my hands to be used for Your good work.

My husbands hands are calloused and rough. But that doesn't mean that his spirit is. He has a gentle and tender presence. And, he never lets a morning go by without making sure to give me a kiss - 'good morning' before he leaves for work. I recently read this little tidbit in a Faith Alive Christian resource, A Woman and Her World, from 1987.

"There is more to that morning peck than meets the eye. According to a recent survey by an insurance company, a husband who kisses his wife each morning before going off to work in the field, factory, or office, or wherever gains several advantages over the non-kisser. The study found that the husband who gives the morning kiss will probably live five years longer than the one who doesn`t. And what`s more, a kissing husband will have fewer auto accidents, will lose up to 50 percent less time from work as a result of illness, and will earn 20 to 30 percent more than the non-kissing husband."

 
- ♥ - Sonya