fine & strong & simple

I was reading Psalm 90 this morning and this phrase jumped off the page:  "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands."  I have read this many times, and indeed, the tune of the Northumbria meditative song for Midday Prayer, set to parts of this psalm, went through my mind.  So beautiful!  But what does "the work of our hands" mean?

In my Bible I wrote (in pencil, haha!), "my kids, my marriage, my talents, my friendships, my home."  Then I looked at those words for awhile.  I thought about the things that God works for me, and through me, things I really have nothing to do with.  Would my kids qualify as one of those things?, I asked myself.  Well, our kids were both wanted, very much wanted.  One was planned almost down to the minute, and one was a surprise, at least timing-wise.  But still, welcomed and wanted.  I believe that God wanted THOSE particular kids, at THOSE particular times, to come into the world, to come into being.  Obviously, my husband and I participated.  And the work of raising them was also in partnership with the Father-Son-Spirit God, in prayer, in diligence, in discipline, in compassion and understanding, and sometimes in letting go.  Sometimes I failed my kids - and God took care of that, too, and is still taking care of it, I trust.

The other things I listed - my marriage, my talents, my friendships, my home - I have also worked in partnership with God to make them what they are today.  God gave them all to me, in grace, but I have to work to maintain them, build them, enhance them, grow them.  Not only should I not take any of them for granted, but I should always remember where they came from in the first place.  And then, I do believe I'm allowed to appreciate the part I've played in making them better.

At the top of my prayer list is this verse, one of my favorites:  "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands." 1 Thess. 4:11.  This fits perfectly into my "fine & strong & simple" framework, doesn't it?  And there is that phrase again, involving "work" and "hands."  I do love to work with my hands - doing graphic design, raking leaves, petting my dog, folding laundry, typing, making dinner.  My hands are getting arthritic, though, and the day may come when I cannot do my favorite "works of my hands" without pain.  So then the prayer "establish the work of our hands" will come into play even more!

I am grateful for the simple, yet complicated, blessings God has given me, and that I've been able to work with him to make them fine and strong.  May we never demand more than what he has for us, and may we continue to be faithful to care for the simple things of our lives.

"Physical things are falling apart at a terrific rate; people, on the other hand, put things together.  People build bridges and cities and roads; they write music and novels and constitutions; they have ideas.  That is why people are here."  From Earth and Altar by Eugene H. Peterson