Big Hands to Hold that Do Not Hurt Makes Me Feel Blessed and Safe

I call him “Big Guy. ” He is a gentle giant, not quite six feet tall. He has the biggest hands that I have ever seen, but they are hands that help and heal, not hands that hurt. When we finally met weeks after he sent me a post on a Christian dating site in 2003, I noticed how big his hands were, and I was somewhat scared to continue the relationship. I had survived two men with small hands, in comparison, who hurt me, sending me to the hospital for seven days in one case and sending me falling down a black tunnel toward death in the second case.

But, I learned early that his large hands were gentle ones, and that when I placed my tiny hand, comparatively speaking, in his, I felt safe not afraid. I felt that he would protect me, not harm me. When I had a headache or sinus infection, those hands would massage my brow and make me feel so much better. When I cannot open a jar, I take it to him, and he twists the top off as though it was coated with grease.

After twenty years of marriage, as we rested in bed this morning and I held his large wrist that makes buying gloves a chore, I found myself thinking that it was wonderful that he was not a violent man because his large hands could do much damage. I feel anew my gratitude at the blessing of a man of God who our little grandchildren and great-grandchildren marvel at the size of his hands but love to place their hands in his and feel safe, like me. He has never even looked as if he would strike me. His gentleness and love continues to astound me, and I try to remember each day to thank God for the man who is also one of the smartest people I know. When not calling him Big Guy, I call him my Scholar.

Small things in life matter. As you begin to think of the blessings in your life, don’t forget to remember the small and seemingly trivial aspects of life, like a child’s smile, a friend’s text in difficult moments, or even the size of the hands of a man who would never hurt you. See blessings in even the minutiae of life.

Happy New Year.