Tiny, Infant Hands

 I don’t hold many babies these days.

My niece and nephews are grown,

And my closest friends’ kids are grown, too.

But last Wednesday night,

At Barb-The-Art-Teacher’s birthday celebration,

I held a mutual friend’s baby.

He was so very cute,

Strong muscles,

Curious eyes,

Glowing smile, and

Full head of hair.

While I didn’t get to hold him very long because he had to eat,

I got to hold him just long enough for him to do my very favorite baby thing:

Wrap his little hand around my finger.

 

Yesterday morning during Lessons and Carols at church,

We sang a phrase about Jesus’s tiny, infant hand.

I’ve often thought of Jesus’s full-grown hands,

In the carpenter’s shop,

On the cross.

And I’ve often thought of Jesus as a baby in the manger,

Sleeping in heavenly peace.

But I’ve less often thought of Jesus as a baby wrapping his little hand around fingers.

But you know he did.

All babies do.

And that image to me is just so very sweet.

 

Dear God: You came to earth as a baby who wrapped his tiny, infant hand around a teenage mother’s fingers. You came to earth as a baby who wrapped his tiny, infant hand around a bewildered father’s fingers. You came to earth as a baby who wrapped his tiny, infant hand around shepherds’ fingers and wisemen’s fingers and who knows who else’s fingers that were offered to you, the Hope of the World, in playful glee as eyes gazed upon you with your strong muscles, curious eyes, glowing smile, and full head of hair. Thank you for growing that tiny, infant hand into Strength that you now offer to us to put our tiny, human hands around. May we look to you and hold to you today and in the year to come. Amen.