Hands and Feet

“Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.  As you enter the home, give it your greeting.  If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.”  Matthew 10: 11-13 NIV

Sweet wife,

I have been looking for the perfect verse for what I want to say to you, but have not found the perfect one.  Maybe not finding the perfect verse is sort of symbolic.  You are not perfect.  We are not perfect.  That is not the goal.  To me, our home is pretty darn close to a perfect environment for you to do what you do.

I cannot think of a better comparison for you, but Jesus told His disciples that they were to go.  To serve people.  To save people.  To preach to people.  To love people.  To be His hands and His feet.  We have had many people come through our house during our marriage.  All of them have felt served by you.  Touched by you.  Loved by you.  It is a ministry that you were tailor made for. 

It starts out looking like a lot of work, which it is.  But behind that work is a heart that simply cannot help itself.  Behind that work is an inner desire to take care of people.  You have a freight train like desire to love your family.  You work.  You cook.  You touch.  You clean.  You hug.  You cry.  You laugh.  You serve.  You hope.  For us. 

You make people feel at home in our house.  You make people feel loved.  Whether it is a care package or treats of any kind, or something you have made for them to use, “Mary made it” gives an instant anticipation to everyone we know - every single one.  When people receive an item you made, they just start rubbing it.  It means something to people.  Hands being cared for recognize hands that do the caring. 

For our kids, mom is a big influence.  They know they can count on you.  They lean on you.  They know at their worst, they can call on you.  Sometimes they have taken you for granted, but not very often.  Your heart, hands and feet are perfectly shaped to care for and love our kids.  Don’t ever doubt your impact on those three beautiful blessings. 

Jordy wasn’t Jordy without you.  All those nights driving around to pick up kids you didn’t know touched more people than you could possibly count.  But it also freed Jordyn to run full blast and she needed to be wide open.  I think she had an internal clock that none of us could possibly have seen.  She knew she had help. 

Aly may be the best person I know, and she sets her pace as a wife and mother by the only example she will ever need.  She knows you are not perfect, so don’t feel guilty for not being perfect.  She just knows she wants to be like you in showing up every day with hands and feet ready to love her family.  She makes being a mom look easy and the skill we see in her parenting comes from her feet following yours. 

Korbin isn’t Korbin without you.  His smart ass he gets from me.  His heart and his empathy come from you.  The world can frustrate him.  When that happens, he looks for you.  He can frustrate us, when that happens, I look for you.  I love getting up with him on weekends.  It is always early and his first question of the day is always “Mom?”  He just wants to make sure he knows where you are. 

For Harlee and Oliver and Next (whenever that may be), I just cannot say how much I love how they look at you.  Harlee cooking with Gram is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.  She doesn’t know she is learning to take care of people.  She just thinks she is like you.  You know that magic ticket on the Polar Express, “Lean on”, “Count on”, “Depend on”.  They have that ticket with you.  When they are old and gray they will be shuffling memories of spending time with you.  They will have more material than they can keep track of in their super smart Reed brains.  They will just always have a shuffling rotation of memories that will remind them of you.

My beautiful wife we have the most peaceful house I have ever been in.  We have had many people here, for both celebrations and sorrows.  According to the verse above peace will rest on our home if people who visit it find it deserving.  You have made it that, with your hands and feet.    

Do you ever wonder what ministry Jesus wants you involved with?

Do you ever consider that it may be doing exactly what you are already doing?

Challenge:  Don’t overlook the small day to day tasks you do for everyone in your life, whether you know them or not.  Being the hands and feet of Jesus is an every day opportunity. 

Rick Claiborn