Page 36 - Korrels Winter uitgawe 3-2025

Wat sê my Hande van my?

Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have,
how they have served you well throughout your years.
These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled, and weak
have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out
and grab and embrace life.
They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.
As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.
They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.
They have been dirty, scraped, and raw, swollen and bent.
They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my new-born son.
Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world
that I was married and loved someone special.
They trembled and shook when I buried my parents
and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle.
They have covered my face, combed my hair,
and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.
They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.
And to this day, when not much of anything else of me
works really well,
these hands hold me up, lay me down,
and again continue to fold in prayer.
These hands are still the mark of where I’ve been
and the ruggedness of my life.
But more important, it will be these hands that God
will reach out and take when He leads me home.
Anonymous

Hoe dank ek U vir my hande, Heer;
vir vingers wat musiek maak,
vir vingerpunte wat Braille kan lees,
vir twee bakke waarin ek gawes kan ontvang,
vir die ondubbelsinnige taal wat hande praat,
vir die doen-krag, die troos-krag, die liefdes-krag
in twee hande en tien vingers.
Liewe Heer, maak my hande u hande.

Maretha Maartens - ʼn Gebed vir elke dag - 21 Maart SCM

36