“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” ` 1 Corinthians 10:31

In January, after my surgery, my hands weren’t busy much, except for turning book pages, knitting, and photographing birds outside my window. Six weeks later, much to my household’s joy, my hands could lift a gallon of milk, fold clothes, prepare stews, grilled cheeses, pancakes – and regular everyday living. Six months later, my hands picked up a new thread in my story, a baker in a cozy, southern-style , with wood floors, blue and white checkered tablecloths, bean-roasting, barista-serving coffee shop and bakery.

These hands have not held a kayak paddle this year, but they’ve busied themselves in overcoming daunting things – at least, daunting to me.

These hands have busined themselves in measuring, mixing, baking sweet goodness, building confidence in kneading and rolling dough into breads and cinnamon rolls, overcoming the elusive from-scratch pie crust, and meeting the day at 5 a.m. for a 6 a.m. work call.

My house will tell you, my hands have not busied themselves in overcoming the messes, the socks, the milk glasses.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” ~ Ecclesiastes 9:10a

They’re getting ready to pick up a thread that’s been resting for a few months; my hands will be busying themselves again with my grandson, holding hands to cross from a parking lot to a park, to roll pigs-in-a-blanket, turn book pages and play counting games, and to tuck into naps, while playing with baby hands, changing diapers, cuddling for bottle feedings of our new grandson, and talking a language babies and mamas and Muddys only know, coaxing smiles and alphabet sounds.

My college sons, living at home while their hands turn the pages of books, type out papers, learning to fulfill expectations others aren’t always so clear about, who grade more stridently than possibly their effort would like, but pushing on determinedly, beyond what they knew of themselves to meet the goals – these boys like nothing more than my hands turning ingredients and seasoning into something that not only fills them up, but satisfies something inside, that comforts, yet balances them to help spur them onward.

I struggled with dishes this summer – all the dishes, everywhere – from the milk glasses to the mixing bowls. There are so many better things to do than dishes. . . right? I didn’t sign up for dishes when I said, “I do” – at least not dishes for seven. . . . or socks for seven (it’s in the small print friends). Yet, it’s in the inbetween stuff where God works. . .

Even when I’m baking, there’s a difference in how I feel in the measuring of the salt, the brown sugar, powdered sugars, granulated sugars, decorative sugars, pounds and pounds butter. . . real butter and whipping cream. . . and how I feel washing, sterilizing, slogging through the mixing bowls, paddles and spatulas. God led me there, to those mixing bowls and that sink. . . the inbetween place. . . and that sink became the place where I sacrificed my pride and turned the unwanted work into something Holy. . . . It became my prayer place, my praise place, my thank you place – and a place where I gave Him the work of my hands – the beautiful butters and sugars. . . and the unglamorous dishes. . . .as I scoured my messes, God scoured my soul. . . in the inbetween place. . . where busy hands do the unpretty work.

Friends, we all need those messy places, to do the unpretty work. . . and look on it as a love offering, a meeting place with the one we love. . . it changes everything. . .it’s the mission field where He works on our soul. . .

It never ceases to amaze me what God does with the busyness of the hands, especially when I give the work of my hands to Him.

Not everybody is called to other countries, or even other states, to love God’s children. Most often, the greatest impact we have on loving God’s kids is where our busy hands take us – and sometimes, our so-busy hands don’t take us far from where they work – but maybe that’s where the greatest impact is – right where we are busiest, where our busy turns work into something else with God. . . something with loving others. . . things we would never have experienced if our hands hadn’t been busy somewhere doing something. Busy hands are just the catalyst for a God’s connection.

Baking is never just baking; matching socks isn’t just matching socks, changing diapers is never just changing diapers. . . even writing is never just writing. . . .never underestimate the impact of the busyness of the hands!

What are your busy hands doing this week? How are they loving those on the paths you walk and work? How are they connecting you to God?

“And whatever you do,
in word or deed,
do it all
in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
to God the Father through Him”
~ Colossians 3:17

 

Remember Me Monday: #19 & Linky

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
 Inspire Me Monday, Grace & Truth,  
Purposeful Faith, Tell His Story, 
https://welcomeheart.com/blog, Worth Beyond Rubies,
Share a Link Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee, 
Grace and Truth, Faith on Fire,