GROWING SEEDS: 'Written On My Hand"

"Dear Friend (Liz),
D what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. 
Do what I say and you'll live well. 
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight - guard it! 
Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. 
Proverbs 7:1-3 (Msg)

Back a few years ago, Chuck and I would travel every summer in our RV to parts of this beautiful country in search of cooler weather.  We climbed mountains in Colorado, drove over the Golden Gate Bridge in California and drove through sand storms in Nevada.  We would be gone sometimes 3-4 months at a time, many days selecting our destinations by simply closing our eyes and dropping our finger on a map.  It was a wonderful way to live....

BUT......the one thing that constantly gnawed at me during those months of traveling, was my Mom.  See, she had Parkinson's....... and a bit of Dementia.  It unnerved her that she didn't know where we were.....what we were doing.....if we were okay.  It wasn't enough to call her every day and tell her where we were....she didn't remember where Colorado, California or Nevada were.  She needed to "see" that we were okay.

So I started sending her messages by writing them on my hand.....taking a picture......and emailing them to Dad to give to her.  This seemed to ease her fears.  They were short little love messages....."I Love Mom"......"I Miss Mom"......."I Wish Mom Were Here"......but they were just enough to make her smile and forget her worries.....for that day. 

I had forgotten about these little messages I would send to Mom on my hand until I read today's scripture....."Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart" Proverbs says.  My little love messages to Mom accomplished the same thing that God encourages us to do.  His word comforts us....calms us down.....provides peace in our lives.  Sometimes we forget where God is.....much like Mom forgot where California was.....but when we write it on the back of our hand.....etching His word into our hearts....we carry Him everywhere we go. 

Everywhere.