Handled: Handled, Held and Led by the Hand of God

Contents

Introduction

He hands us…

His Love…

His Forgiveness…

His Presence…

His Guidance…

His Healing…

Out of our hands and into His…

Our Childlike Faith…

His Friendship…

Our Surrender…

His Peace…

Our Inadequacy…

His Provision…

Our Fear…

His Hope…

Our Struggle…

His Grace…

Our Brokenness…

His Restoration…

Our Longing

For God…

His Intimacy…

Introduction

Before you start…

I wanted to share with you where this book project came from.

It began in my heart—a fascination with the hands of God. I have always loved how His hands have, through all time, demonstrated His love for mankind. It began at creation and has continued since. He formed man, healed man, saved man, transformed man, and led man throughout the pages of the Bible. And His hands continue today to form us, heal us, save us, transform us, and lead us.

Two and a half years ago, my personal infatuation with God’s hands became a daily blog of poetry, songs, and day-in-the-life ponderings from my own life experience of walking hand-in-hand with Jesus, my Savior and Friend. It is a glimpse into my journey of the intimacy that comes from holding His hand in the daily happenings of life. The good, the bad, and the ugly become the meaningful, the rich, and the beautiful.

I chose the title HANDled because within those few letters lie so many of the things that we can experience from the hand that beckons us to come.

- HANDLED: Our eternity is taken care of when we take the hand of God. He’s got it covered.

- LED: He guides us through this life. He knows the way and wants to show us.

- HEAL: As we release things from our hands into His, we can experience the power of healing and restoration that He offers.

- HELD: No matter what happens along this path, we are held by the hand of Him who loves us more than we can imagine.

- HAND: We can begin to know and understand more of Jesus as we experience and recognize His hands at work in our lives.

It’s my prayer that this simple book, written by an ordinary girl, might encourage you to see God’s hands in your everyday world and to reach out and take one of those hands into the journey that is the rest of your life.

HANDled: Hand-led by Jesus, Himself… an irresistible invitation to a glorious destination.

He hands us…

(what He offers when we take

His hand)

His Love…

Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a king. He was a kind and good king, a generous and just king. He ruled his kingdom fairly and with great love for the people who lived in and outside the kingdom.

One morning, before the sun had come up over the horizon, as he stood on his balcony, he heard a faint cry in the distance. It was the sound of someone in trouble—a damsel in distress. His heart went out to her. He called out to her to tell her that he would rescue her and that she would be all right. But though the crying ceased when he spoke, she did not respond to his offers for rescue and relief.

The king’s heart grieved for her. Every day, the same scenario would play out. She would cry. He would call. He would offer help. She would become silent, unresponsive. And the King would leave his balcony once again, brokenhearted, longing to save the girl.

Now the king, good and just and merciful, was also wise. He understood that this girl was most likely silenced by shame, by a sense of unworthiness. She was probably intimidated by the king’s majestic stature in her humble peasant state. No doubt she was fearful of him and of his response to her. Such things stood in the way of her rescue. And so he devised a plan to reach her.

The king had a son, the prince. He was a good young man who reflected all of his father’s qualities and character. It would be this son who would carry out the king’s plan.

After full disclosure and lengthy conversation, father and son were ready to carry out their strategy to bring this girl to safety. Removing his crown, the prince took off all of his royal wardrobe, dressing instead as a commoner. He would be unrecognizable as royalty and, thus, would more likely be able to approach the girl in her helpless state.

As the prince and king went to the balcony, they listened for the daily cry of distress from the girl. As if on cue, the faint sound of painful whimpering once again floated through the air to the ears of the king and his son. The cry warmed and pierced their hearts at the same time. But instead of answering with his call of help, the king turned to his son with tears in his eyes and said, It is time. Go find the girl. And after an extended embrace and the sound of a hurting soul still ringing in his ears, the prince headed out. He did not have a crown or robe or white horse, but he went as a mere man on foot with a mission to save.

As he left the grand doors of the castle, the once muffled, distant cry became clearer and more distinct. It was a cry of pain and desperation, of torment and fear. As he got closer to its source, the lump that grew in his throat gave way to tears. This was, indeed, a damsel in distress. Her cries came from a run-down shack up ahead. As he drew nearer, the stench of filth filled the air. The cries sounded more pathetic and heart-wrenching than ever.

He entered the makeshift dwelling and saw her. She was gagged and tied to a chair by her hands and feet. She was dirty; her clothes tattered. As he made his way toward her through the rubble, he noticed that fear was in her eyes when she saw him. The same cry he had heard from the castle escaped through her gagged mouth and fell as tears on her stained cheeks. She wrestled to free herself from her bondage, but to no avail. Clearly, those who approached her before had not been there to help her, but to hurt her, to enslave her, and to hold her captive. He turned and saw the source of her fear.

In the corner was a man dressed in black from head to toe—a menacing, arrogant character. As the prince looked at him, the man smiled deviously and let out a hideous, mocking laugh. He had this girl under his power, and she was helpless to stop what he was doing to her. Slowly the man in black walked over to the girl, spit curses and accusations at her, and then, with the slightest touch of his hand, pushed her and the chair to which she was tied to the ground.

The girl did not recognize the prince for who he was, but the man in black did, and yet he continued to abuse and humiliate the girl shamelessly in front of him. The girl looked at the Prince, blood now dripping from her forehead, wondering if he would be the next to take his turn at her. But the prince, overcome by the passion of anger and protection, brought back his fist, his nostrils flared, his eyes flaming. He stormed over to the man in black and let him feel the fury of his wrath in a powerful blow. The man scratched and clawed and bit and did his best to thwart the valiant efforts of the prince. A bloody fight for the girl ensued, and at long last, a final blow to the head left the man in black on the floor.

Still bleeding, the prince went to the girl and loosened her bindings, dropping them to the floor. He gently removed the gag from her mouth. She breathed in deeply, as if for the first time. As the man in black still struggled on the ground, dazed by the impact and hurt by the blow, the prince picked up the girl and carried her out of the shambles. Looking deeply and tenderly into her eyes, he whispered, I am taking you to my father’s house.

By the time they reached the castle, the girl was limp and nearly lifeless in his arms. His father came out to greet them and welcome them home. He took the girl from his son and carried her through the massive doors. He laid her on a bed where nursemaids cared for her. The poor girl was malnourished, dirty, and in need of a good, hot bath. They washed her, fed her, and brought her new clothes. Exhausted and hurting, the girl was barely aware of her surroundings and fell in and out of sleep.

The next day, the king came in to check on her. As she lay sleeping, he sat with her on the bed and stroked her hair, so glad to have her safely in the castle. His touch startled her, and she woke with a jolt. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was more than she could believe. She was in the presence of the king! It was too much to comprehend. She began to recall the events of the prior day. Only a day ago, she had been trapped in a rubbish heap, tied down by a maniacal man whose daily habit was to abuse her. A man had come and rescued her—a man she now realized was the prince. Now here she was, waking up in the house of the king. It made her head spin. Her world had truly changed overnight.

As the days went on, she went from feeling unworthy and shamed at the loving care that she was receiving to feeling the deepest sense of gratitude to the king. She learned to be able to look at him when he spoke to her. She learned to trust his intentions toward her. She began to value his wisdom and teaching in her life. And when she went back to her old way of thinking or acting, she learned to accept his correction as loving and beneficial.

She knew the king loved her. He told her daily. He gave her everything she needed and lavished her with gifts that she could never have imagined. He invited her to grand galas and introduced her to interesting and amazing people. He fed her only the best food and took long walks with her in the palace gardens, which were overflowing with fragrant, beautiful, colorful flowers. They would engage in meaningful conversations, and he would impart his great knowledge to her. He had, in fact, become her father in every sense of the word. She was now part of his family. She finally knew what home meant. She had become a daughter of the king in every sense of the word.

Years passed, and the girl grew in stature and maturity. She had, in fact, become a woman, a woman who loved her father and king and who had devoted her life to pleasing him. Her distant past now seemed just a faded memory, and the shame and guilt that she once felt was now replaced with a true sense of worth and acceptance. In these years she sensed a shift in her relationship with the king. As their conversations deepened and as she understood more about the things of which he spoke, she realized that she had something to offer him as well: her friendship, her ever more trusting heart that shared her fears and secrets and hopes and dreams. Their exchanges were reciprocal—equal sharing and listening. She enjoyed being with him and joining him in the daily duties of his kingdom.

She treasured being with not just him, but his son, the prince, as well. They would spend hours together, laughing, crying, talking, and reveling in each other’s company. They had become inseparable friends with a common goal—to serve and love the people inside and outside the kingdom and to let it be known throughout the land the love of a very good king. As the days went on, this common bond drew her heart more closely to the prince and to his heart.

As the friendship with the king and prince deepened, she found that she was not just approaching them for their advice and wisdom, but to know them better. She wanted to be more like them in their character and love. The more time she spent with them, the more she seemed to carry the imprint of their impact upon her. The scars of her past seemed to be hidden by the beauty of the essence that their influence brought out in her. She began to see herself not only as a rescued subject and cherished daughter, but as a valued friend.

Years passed, and the girl grew in grace, beauty, and wisdom. She laughed easily and loved well. She rarely spent a moment without the king or the prince. She not only depended on them, but adored them. She could not even remember her life without them. She could not recall the day before the prince rescued her from her certain doom. They were her existence, her life, her love.

One day in the midst of normal kingdom occurrences and protocol, the king called the girl into his chambers. She gladly came, certain that he had some task for her to perform or some event to attend. But as she entered the room, she saw a smile on his face as she had never seen before. The prince stood there grinning next to him. It was as if the king had a most wonderful gift to give her. But he had given her so many gifts already. He had truly given her the entire kingdom. What more could he possibly have left to give?

He called her to his side. And there in the quietest and most intimate of moments, He took her hand in his own. After once again declaring his endless love for her, he took her hand and put it into the hand of the prince. The three of them had walked hand in hand many times before, but she had never experienced the depth of what she felt at that moment. She looked down at the prince’s hand. Scars still marked his palms where the man in black had struck him in her rescue. But beside the scars, she saw a mark she had never noticed. There inscribed in the center of his hands was her name—her name. Before she could catch her breath, the prince was down on one knee, asking for her hand and slipping a ring on her finger.

Overcome with joy, she gasped out a tearful yes and fell into his waiting arms. Her hero, her savior, her friend, was now asking her to be his bride. Her king was now, more than ever, her father. Love that began in the midst of shambles had grown into a thing of beauty. The lost girl had become a daughter, a princess, and a bride. She lived deeply in love forever after.

My Happily Ever After

The princess awaits

As the Prince overtakes

The dragons and enemies strong.

And so waits the bride

As she stands by his side,

The Groom for whom she has longed.

As she looks in his eyes

She is so mesmerized

And all her heart knows to say is…

You are

My happily ever after.

Your love,

My simple heart has captured.

Take me away

To that enchanted place

Where storybook dreams come true,

Because you are

My happily ever after.

The damsel distressed

Would never have guessed

A hero so true and so brave.

Once under a spell

A girl wakes to tell

Of the kiss with the power to save.

As she looks in his eyes

She is so mesmerized,

And all her heart knows to say is…

You are

My happily ever after.

Your love,

My simple heart has captured.

Take me away

To that enchanted place

Where storybook dreams come true,

Because you are

My happily ever after.

The man saves the girl

With a love undeserved

And off to his kingdom they ride.

Every other love pales

In those old fairy tales

When she knows that he’s by her side.

It’s a love like no other.

As she looks in his eyes

She is so mesmerized

And all her heart knows to say is…

You are

My happily ever after.

Your love,

My simple heart has captured.

Take me away

To that enchanted place

Where storybook dreams come true.

Because you are

My happily ever after.

Jesus’ Love Song

I’ll fight thousands

And ten times more

To prove that you’re mine

And I am yours,

Your brave Prince Charming

Who battles to win,

To wrestle the beasts

That rage within,

The Knight in his armor

Who rescues the girl,

Protects her from dangers

That lurk in this world.

I’ll fight thousands

And ten times more

To prove that you’re mine

And I am yours.

I’ll be your David,

Throwing stones at your giants.

I’ll shield you from harm

Against all their defiance.

I’ll be your Solomon,

Lover of your soul,

Not knowing just part

But knowing the whole.

I’ll fight thousands

And ten times more

To prove that you’re mine

And I am yours.

—Jesus

Ask Her To Dance

Come take her hand for her own special dance,

The one You will teach her,

Then give her that glance

That tells her You love her with all that You are.

Pull her in close, her ear to your heart,

Ask her to dance

In Your sacred romance… she is Yours.

Sing her the song that You wrote just for her,

Help her to know that You chose every word,

Thinking of her with all that You are,

With all of Your mind and all of Your heart.

Sing her the song

Of Your love all day long… she is Yours.

How will she know

That You love her so?

In the dance, the romance, and the song that will flow,

The music of Your love made just for her,

The rhythm of Your mercy,

The grace in Your words

Ask her to dance

Sing her the song… she is Yours.

Gathered, Held, and Carried

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young (Isa. 40:11).

I love this picture. Remember all those pictures from when we were kids of Jesus holding the lamb with the sheep surrounding Him? I have a little different picture in my head. My mind went straight to the word gathers. When we gather something, we have to bend down to the level of what we are gathering. Jesus did that when He came to earth. He came down to our level to gather His lambs. Before He could hold us, He met us where we were at. That speaks so clearly of humility and a love so deep.

I also love how He refers to us as lambs—baby sheep. Sheep tend to wander off and get distracted and lost. But Jesus’ heart was drawn to little ones, as seen in Scripture when He would tell His disciples that they needed to come to Him as little children. He loved their innocence, their dependence upon Him, their ability to love and be loved, and their tender hearts. That’s what I picture with the lamb—a content little sheep, resting completely in Jesus’ arms, not struggling to get down and run, not afraid, but fully content, knowing there is no safer place than in his Shepherd’s arms.

And not only does the Shepherd hold us in His arms, but He carries (us) close to His heart. He carries us throughout our crazy days, and if we take the time to listen, we can hear His heart. When I was little, I loved to fall asleep listening to my daddy’s heart, with my head resting against his chest. It was soothing. It was the sound of safety and security and peace. That’s the mental image I get of the little lamb: nestled in, secure in the sound of his Shepherd’s heartbeat, moving forward, carried by his Master.

My prayer is that I will be the lamb, gathered, carried, and nestled in His arms as I go about my days. In that place, I will continually look up into the beautiful face of the One who holds me.

Good To Know

For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end (Ps. 48:14).Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun (Ps. 37:4-6). Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders (Deut. 33:12).

I came across these verses today and fell in love with the imagery. I couldn’t help but see a shepherd with his lambs, guiding them, giving them the desires of their hearts, carrying them between his shoulders, fighting for and defending them—protective, loving.

The picture was so vivid that I had to go back and look at Psalm 23 again—the passage famous for depicting Jesus as our Shepherd. I wrote it out and filled in where the verses above overlapped