Realisations and revelations – life giving touch 20200129

Realisations and revelations – life giving touch 20200129

Human touch communicates … 
solace and fear, 
awareness and connection, 
presence-in-the-moment and companionship, 
feelings and memory, 
trust and delight, 
history  and possibility, 
gentleness and peace, 
offering of time and hope, 
acknowledgement of personhood and joy, 
comfort and anxiety  … 
love and loving

Touching or holding of hands 
most often characterises this connection of human spirits … 
and amid the reflecting, 
like the soft lighting of the evening moonrise …
memories arise …
and context and season come into focus. …
Opportunities created (and taken) … with the youth group …
sitting in the back row of evening worship …
spotted, 
warned off by the preacher … 
too bad he was dad!
squished in the back of leaders cars travelling to youth events, 
at the pictures,  
walking home after ‘missing’ the school bus,
secret lunch times in the park …
Each other’s hands … 
the tiny and the chunky ones … 
claiming shared space, 
marking emerging identities  
Those same hands …
comforting …
through miscarriage, 
our daughters death 
through our sons journey living with PTSD …
strength and presence when there were no words!

Loving, gentle hands, 
“I would know them anywhere, even in the dark!” 
declared familiarity and intimacy, 
welcomed 
and delighted in.

Welcoming, hospitable hands
hands to heal, 
to comfort, 
to deliver new life … 
while dancing in overflowing joy.

Hands that reached out seeking touch, 
speaking of love and presence, 
even in sleep. 
Hands reaching out between chairs 
and without ever looking 
finding the other 
and tingling with surprise as if for the first time.

That which I miss … 
is the touch of hands!
Hands just reaching out … 
finding each other…
fingers gently entwining 
with no need for asking or explanation. 

This is not like the hand-holding of greetings,
or even the gift and receiving of peace. 

It cannot be manufactured or managed … 
not in its purest form …
simply offered and accepted, 
received and returned 
gift and giver.

Today …
gently …
unsought yet apposite …
my hand was held … 
and my hand held back …
softly, yet with strength… 
mutual comfort and presence …
offered 
and received… 
all the while announcing softly:
“It is ok, 
we are travelling companions … 
together we are stronger than apart, 
at peace with each other 
and with wherever this journey leads!”

Amazing grace?
What else could it be?

Surprising gift of grace?
Nothing less!

At the edges of the dark places, 
through the valleys where shadows dwell, 
another rainbow sign of hope and promise is birthed. 
And I am thankful, 
and my heart is glad. 
Hallelujah!

©️amf20200129

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