“He is most happy when he has something living in his hands.”
After the little boy discovered his precious toad in the wooded property he gripped it fiercely. A smile of contentment and pride plastered his face. Keeping a cautious eye on his toad when he held it for me to see and, er, share in his joy, I tried. Honestly I did. Even gave a fingertip pat on the creature’s head and offered something like, ‘Aw, now isn’t that a cute little thing’ before swiping a dollop of hand sanitizer between my palms.
At times I observed that little boy hold his toad by nothing more than two legs. On occasion he’d lovingly stroke its back with a stick. The toad with its knobbly bumps and guttural croaking never left the boy’s sight. He refused to release it. Until mom said he had to. And he cried a cry that could be heard the next county over. With an understanding shake of her head, his mom explained:
“He is most happy when he has something living in his hands.”
Makes me consider the Lord and His creation. Could it be said of God that He is most happy when I am in His grasp? Does He weep when my sin separates us? I believe so.
Psalm 103:3-4 evokes an image of the Lord reaching for me with outstretched hand.
Praise the Lord who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion.
The power of His forgiveness keeps Him from seeing my irregular bumps. He doesn’t let the germs of my croaking ingratitude repel Him. Rather He holds me in his grasp, places a crown on my head. He is wholly pleased with His fearfully, wonderfully made creation, the masterful work of the Potter’s hand (Psalm 139:14, Is 64:8).
He’ll never wrinkle His nose, tug a sanitary wipe, and sterilize His hands after He’s held me.
When I’ve become dismayed, fearful I need only to remember He upholds me with His righteous, right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
My name? It was engraved on the palms of His hands (Is. 49:16a) long before the Roman soldiers pierced them with those lengthy nails.
In His hands I share company with all authorities in the entire world.
The king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord. Proverbs 21:1a
Hard to imagine the capacity of a hand that can hold so many living things!
Like the little boy and his toad I can’t help but believe God is most happy when I am in His hands, yielding to Him as he directs the watercourse of my life.
Lest I should begin to feel like an ugly toad the inspirational lyrics to Blanca’s Who I Am ministers to my soul.
I’m running’ to the One who knows me
Who made every part of me in His hands
I’m holding to the One Who holds me…
I realize how dad-gum cute that little boy is, but if ever he insists I pet his toad again I think I’ll croak 🙁