Hands.....sometimes I remember especially poignant memories in the form of an image engraved within my mind. One of those memories was when we lost our young Megan. As they began to roll her casket out of the church, my brother, her father reached out and put his hand on the casket as it went by......his hand reaching out to touch her in the only way he could.
Recently I was visiting my Mother and Daddy in NC. Daddy has trouble remembering things and walks slowly with his walker. On my last night at home we went to a restaurant. As we were leaving I saw from behind my father trying to navigate his way out through the people near the entrance. And there behind him was my brother with his hand on Daddy's shoulder to steady him. It was the same hand and my mind went immediately back to Megan. His loving hand still offering that touch in the only way that he could.
There is another hand that reaches out to touch us, to steady us and to assure us that we are never alone. That hand holds everything that we are and everything that we could ever hope to be. That hand bares the scar of His sacrifice. That hand bares the scar of a nail.......Hands, O the power the touch of a hand holds!

To love people, to love a friend, to love a person with heart and soul is to feel their pain. It is that mystical thing, that is a God thing, that allows an individual to wrap their heart around another. When that love comes from God the time that you know someone matters little. For what is time to God? This love is an eternal thing and takes much risk. It is risky to love to the point that your own heart is broken in such a way as to lay open your soul before the All Mighty. Today as I was crying over the pain I feel for a friend, I asked God, "is there no limit or bottom to the pain we can feel on this earth that comes when we love others so much that we can feel their suffering?" In my spirit I saw the broken body of Jesus and I heard the familiar words........" Here is my body broken for you. Here is my blood shed for you." So there was my answer. And I was reminded of a "new command" that our Lord gave before He gave His life for us, "love one another as I have loved you."

Well......besides getting out and enjoying the first snow of our season, as Jon and I drove the Bob Marly (my jeep) up the trail, we also saw our first bear of the season. This sighting was on the way back from Lost Creek. Starbuck (my lab) and I walk this trail often. I do usually have a bear whistle with me to scare them away. But it was comforting to be in the Bob Marly! The black bear was very cute. He or she was a juvenile; larger than a little cub but did not look to be a yearling. Hey but what do I know about the age of a bear! Anyway he or she was quite afraid of us and after pausing to look at us, ran from us at breakneck speed. I can say from experience that a bear running away from you is better than one running toward you!