A Bundle of Myrrh

“It was on one of these Sundays, when we made it to the pew and I was mentally congratulating myself on another successful Sunday morning marathon completed, with all children in their places, and not one missing his pants.

My crew and I lined up in front of the church for communion. I placed the most wiggly child directly in front of me, folded his hands, and folded mine on top of his. That is when I saw….blue fingers-mine, not his. Bright blue fingers stained with yesterday’s Kool-Aid.

I reached out my blue hand to receive, and couldn’t help but notice the hands that gave me Jesus: they also were stained. Not Kool-Aid, but earth stained the elder’s fingers. And there was my God: held by cracked and callused fingers, and placed gently in my hands. Body and Blood, given for me, humbled to die on a cross, humbled to be held by fingers stained with work and sin.” From Tend to Me Devotions for Mothers by Emily Cook

I loved this example Emily gives in her book Tend To Me. It reminded me that God comes to all of us, in our sin. Giving Himself to each of us in our different vocations. I also love that our hands can tell stories of what God has given us to do. Some of us have work that leaves a mark on our bodies. Bodies that God has redeemed. I look at my hands dry, wrinkly and cracked from so much washing. And I look in admiration at the earth stained hands of many of the farmers in my congregation. I just hope they might look with similar admiration at my hands should they ever bear the marks of….blue Kool-Aid!