AN ORPHANS HANDS

I was born into a world whose hands do not welcome me, so I lay alone swaddled up tight.
I cry out to a world whose hands do not hold me, and soon all my cries are silent.
I hunger in a world where no hands will feed me, and I get used to the ache of never being full.
I play in a world where no hands will join me, and soon I retreat into my own silent world.
I go to sleep in a world where no hands will rock me, and so I rock myself, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
I awake to a world whose hands do not welcome me, so I lay alone swaddled up tight.
-KM

As Tavi played in the rain today I thought of the sad reality of how many children will never feel the rain, or know what it feels like to jump in a puddle. And my heart was heavy as I thought of so many who will never know a mamas touch, or a mamas smile of "good morning". How many children think of the hands of another as something dangerous? How many children think of the hands of another as something painful? How many children longingly look at a child held lovingly in the arms of their mama and ache in a way that I will never be able to fully comprehend?

Hands. They can bring pain and rejection, or love and acceptance. Hands. We can choose to use them for our own purposes or we can choose to use them to bring glory to God. What are your hands doing?

Matthew 25: 34-40

34....the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat[with your hands], I was thirsty and you [handed] me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in [with welcoming hands], 36I needed clothes and you [handed me]cloth[es] .., I was sick and you looked after me [with your own hands], I was in prison and you came to visit me [in person with comforting hands].'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine [with your own hands], you did for me.'