He Sure Has Mighty Big Hands

In Tulsa, OK are these mammoth “healing” hands located at the entrance of Oral Roberts University. I’ve seen buses of tourists from around the world stopping there to take photos of one of Tulsa's most identifiable landmarks. Though I lived in Tulsa, I became a tourist myself when I took this photo and I found out that those formidable bronze hands stand 60 feet high and weigh 30 tons. Casting done in Juarez, Mexico in 1980, they are the largest bronze sculpture in the world. Those hands still remain a strong model of the power of medical science and God’s supernatural healing power working together to bring restoration to people’s bodies and minds.

Our Heavenly Father really does have mighty big hands. In fact, His hands are so big He holds the whole world in them! How big are God’s hands? God’s hands are big enough to bless us. Jesus often touched people in order to bless them. He does the same for you and me. “The Lord will hold you in His hand for all to see a splendid crown in the hand of God.” (Isaiah 62:3)

God’s hands are scarred to never forget us. In Heaven, the only scars will be on Jesus. God will never forget us because He has a constant reminder in Jesus' nail-scarred hands. The Bible says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

God’s hands are strong enough to keep us eternally secure. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish .... My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29) .

When our kids were little, my husband would stand in the water at the edge of the pool and say, “Jump to me. Trust me. I’ve got you!” But, they were afraid. "Is he strong enough to catch me? Are his hands slippery? What happens if he doesn’t catch me?" But, after many promises and much pleading, they would finally get up enough faith and courage to jump into their daddy’s arms, and of course he would catch them. Then they’d want to do it a hundred more times!

Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to jump today. He’s saying, “Trust me. I can be trusted. I’m working behind the scenes. And I can handle anything you give Me." Don’t we want our life to be in God’s hands? We can trust Him with our lives and our future.

The "Praying Hands" statute reminded me of God’s purpose for my own hands -- to type this blog each day to share His love and light, to touch someone who needs a gesture of love -- but most of all -- for my own praying hands to seek Him with my whole heart -- for it is in my seeking,,,..that I find the perfect, tender and loving hands of God.

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Mama

July 12th, 2011 -- The Carpenters (one of my favorite 60s duo) sang…”On the day that you were born the angels got together, and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue” (Song was “Close to You”). And today, I feel close to my angel Mama, Edna Pearl (Halbert) Wheat.

I treasure photos like this, because it reminds me of where the best of me came from. If you read my posts, you know how I make a big deal about memories and my desire to keep those who made the biggest difference in my life….alive. If ever there was an angel on earth, it was my mom. She was my mentor, role model and everything a mother should be. She selflessly gave -- "Just give me the fried chicken neck -- that's good enough for me." She always forgave -- "It's okay. God forgives me all the time. I sure can forgive you." She unconditionally loved. Her integrity and honesty were of the utmost importance to her. I'll never forget the day as a tiny tot that I saw a package of gum on the floor in the grocery store and put it in my pocket. I reasoned that "if it's on the floor, it's okay to have it". When she found it in my pocket, she took me back to the store and I had to admit my wrong-doing.

That incident and lesson stuck with me like glue. She gave me boundaries that worked -- "Let your conscience be your guide." And those words always rang in my ears when I was choosing right or wrong. She rarely missed a church service -- Wednesday night, Friday prayer meeting, women's meetings, Sunday School AND church -- twice each Sunday. That’s why, to this day, I love attending church and the sweet fellowship I find there. She sacrificed her own personal needs for my needs. She showed me undaunted faith and determination in the toughest of times when my daddy was so sick and when our finances were so meager. I heard her praying for me and my siblings from her bedroom. She was unquestionably the most tender, kind-hearted, loving, gentle, caring and pure woman I have ever known. She was and is my hero. Her example made me a better me.

The photos I’ve included in this post include Staci’s wedding and that “pretty as a picture Mom in the middle of us”, and that’s who she was in life. Right in the middle of praying for us, and praying for Staci’s soul mate to come into her life – he did! The photo of her standing up at church – is her giving praise to God – she just had to stand up and tell it. That’s how she rolled! The photo of her sitting with my siblings, is at her 90th birthday celebration. I’m the only one, in the group, still here to keep the memory alive!

Mom only saw my two oldest grandsons, Braden and Brennan, in the photo with their dad. That’s another reason to keep the memory alive for the four grandchildren that came after she went to heaven.

The photo of Mom and Shawntel is when they came to see her on November 27, 2003 to tell her “We have a baby coming!” (That baby was Brennan – our 13 year old.)

Of course I had to include my sweet mama on our wedding day. She sacrificed so much to give us such a beautiful wedding. BTW – that’s my sister’s wedding dress that I was wearing -- that saved a lot on the wedding finances!

The reason why I'm emphasizing her today, as my greatest role model, is for you and me to realize -- it's not the things or treasures or inheritance or life insurance or jewelry -- the tangible things that make us. What makes us, and the legacy we leave to our children, are the things that money could never buy. Her influence on me caused me to be honest, to love and care passionately, to put my faith in God during the best and worst of times, to give and to suck it up when I've been hurt or offended, to trust in God's plans for my life and to leave my family with something so much more than the things that can be bought. I intend to leave them the very best of me......and the very best of me is my precious mother's example.

What are those things that you'll leave to your children and grandchildren? "Her children rise up, and call her blessed...." Proverbs 31:28