In God’s Hand

This past week I was volunteering at an elementary school. A kindergartener asked me if I would write her mother’s name on a picture she made for her. I said I’d love to. Though, I wanted to make the kindergartener feel like she wrote the name, so I put my hand over hers and we “drew it together”. With her hand under mine, I guided the letters, shaped the letters, orchestrated the letters. The letters came out super clear, of course, because it was really an adult who wrote them. Be that as it may, she was ecstatic. Now I had seen this kindergartner’s handwriting prior to us writing together... squiggly lines, misspellings, illegible markings- what you would expect from a 5 year old. Though, now her handwriting was crystal clear (because someone else’s hand was on it).

Several minutes later, her mom arrives to pick her up. The kindergartener pulls the picture from the hidden position behind her back and shouts, “Mommy I made this for you!!” The mom does what moms do. Her face brightens, her soul jumps, she says “Thank you so much baby!!” Gives her daughter a huge hug. Then the mom says, “And look, you even spelled my name right!” And you know what the little girl says... “Yes, Mommy! I wrote it myself!!”😂

Now I didn’t have the heart to confess to the mom (who was certainly aware) it was actually my hand that wrote the name. That it was my hand over her daughter’s. That it was my hand who made the name clear. That if it wasn’t for my hand being over her kindergartener’s hand, that name would’ve been squiggly, misspelled, and illegible. Though, it brought me to an even greater revelation. That when I get to the end of my life, and I look at the rear view of all my accomplishments, each of my ministry successes, all of the wins and triumphs, like the kindergartener I too may be tempted to believe “it was my hand who wrote those letters”. Though, I pray I’ll be reminded of the truth that there has always been another Hand over mine. Every accomplishment, there’s been a Hand who has orchestrated it. Every achievement, a Hand who was over it. Ever pivotal decision, a Hand who was guiding it. Every soul that comes to faith under a word I preach, lesson I teach, encouragement I speak, there’s a Hand whose above them all. I may have played a role in being used, though it was another Hand who has done the heavy lifting. From beginning to the end. This is nothing new. There has always been a Hand over my hand. Guiding me, protecting me. Without His Hand, my letters would be squiggly, misspelled, and illegible. Glory be to God🙌🏾🙏🏾

Christopher Reed is an MDiv student and Mosaic scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School