07/22/2026
Bless Our Hands
Bless our hands, for the dexterity they give us
to fasten a delicate necklace clasp
to work with tools in home and yard and jobsite
to dispense medicine with precision to ourselves and others.
Bless our hands for their strength
as they grip and wield garden implements
as they wring out laundry
as they minister to others through massage.
Bless our hands for the stress they absorb
as we clench the steering wheel on high speed interstates
as we make fists in frustration and anger
as we twist them in worry and despair.
Bless our hands for the connection they bring us
holding on to each other
stroking the creatures with whom we share our space
touching the sea, spring flowers, the world around us.
Bless our hands for how they reveal our creativity
in the colors of a painting
in the music of an instrument
in the magic of words that flow from pen to paper.
Bless our hands for the unglamourous work they do
cleaning up life messes
paying bills and loading grocery carts
repairing, mending, fixing.
May we remember to thank them, to care for them.
May we give them rest when they need it, and healing.
When the skin wrinkles, and spots and veins stand out,
And we look askance at hands grown old before we even noticed,
May we remember the work they have done for us,
The beauty they have crafted for us,
And the way they have gently wiped away tears.
©ElizabethGrant
