These Hands

They hit the snooze button

                        Grind the coffee

                        Pour the hot water into the waiting French press

They change the first morning diaper of our 2-year old son

They hold the little boy close

and tousle his hair

One hand reaches for the door

as the other waves goodbye

“See you around like a donut”

 our little boy calls

One hand reaches down to rest on the woman’s wrinkled one

‘We will do our very best’

 his voice gently speaks

‘May I pray with you?’

She nods gratefully

 and calms

Soon this same hand is helping the other

 cutting, sewing, removing, repairing  

The heart and mind attached to these hands are praying

 ‘Please heal Lord’

‘This woman needs You’

A couple hours later both hands continue their hard work

 this time on a tiny baby

 trying to restore circulation

and health to his belly

The clock turns a bit

and the hands turn the door latch

            ‘I’m home for lunch!’

his voice calls

Now the hands hold our own baby

             just 10 months old

and a bit sick today

These hands cuddle our youngest son tightly

All too soon the little one wriggles down from the hold

They now pick up his white coat

 and black bag

 returning

Within minutes these hands are putting a tube down a young man’s throat

            begging breath to return

They put a line in his veins

praying for the blood infused to help restore life

It is all to no avail

These hands now join the hands of another

the young man’s newlywed wife

then his mother

            then his father

The touch says the same thing as his eyes and mouth

 ‘I’m so sorry’

Though tired

 these hands still cannot return home

 there is a little girl

 then an older gentleman

 then another baby

they all need his hands.

Eventually these hands return to me

The house is quiet

and the boys are asleep

I feel him crawl into bed

and his hands reach for me in the dark

They find me

and pull me close

Oh how grateful I am for these hands

            the man who uses them

and the God who uses this man