Did you know if you google the word “hand” you get more than 2 billion results? As it turns out, hands are more amazing than I realized! There are twenty-seven bones in the human hand, including the wrist. There are 206 bones in your whole body and 52 of those bones are in your hands and feet. I would like to say that I have been researching every bone in the human hand, but that is not the reason I haven’t written a blog for several days. Ryan came home this weekend and blogging was low on my priority list. His visit is the reason for my recent “google” because this weekend I kept noticing his left hand.
Ryan has been responsible for bringing a lot of change into my life. He is my oldest son and looking back, his birth changed everything! When the doctor announced, “it’s a boy” he failed to mention how many moments of my life would now be altered! I was amazed when I looked at Ryan’s tiny hands, with those tiny fingernails. I was surprised by the strength of that tiny grip on my finger. I held those hands to keep him safe, teach him to walk, and stop him from throwing something across the room or at his brother. I watched those hands shoot a basketball, play a trumpet, and rummage through the pantry. Those hands can manipulate the television remote, type a masters-level research paper, and send a text message – all at the same time. 2 ½ decades later – I am still amazed at my son’s hands! This weekend it was just his left hand that caught my attention.
Last June, once again, Ryan introduced a great change into our lives when he married his sweet bride. This weekend, I was surprised by the flash of gold on our son’s left hand. I was surprised – that I was surprised! I knew he got married – I was there! There was just something about seeing that hand and noticing the ring, that reminded me once again, my son has brought change to my life! Everything is new this Christmas – and we are thrilled.
I have thought a lot about Mary this Christmas. I’m sure she was as much in awe of her son’s newborn hand as I was of mine. Everything changed in Mary’s life when her son was born. She would watch her son’s hands grow and learn the trade of a carpenter. His hands would heal the sick, raise the dead and then be nailed to a cross. She watched her child grow to be a man, just like I did. And she saw him give his hand to another – but not in the joyful way that I did. Everything changed the day Jesus was born – for everyone. And one day Mary will watch her Son “get married.”
Jesus is a “bridegroom” but his bride is the Church. Revelation 21 begins, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Jesus’ birth changed everything – the question today is, “Has He changed you?”
My greatest praise this Christmas is that my family will be present at the wedding announced in Revelation 21. This Christmas, pray for those who have been invited to that wedding, but have not yet responded to the invitation. We should all look at the hands of our friends and families…and make certain they wear that ring!
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