When you write books, you have to carry book boxes. When you carry heavy book boxes, your fingernails break and chip and get filled with brown box dust. I was about to go to speak at our mom’s tea and sweet Christie Weakly, an adopted daughter, who is beautiful and also smart, said, “I will make your hands beautiful–let me file them and paint them for you.”
So, we snuck away to a hidden hallway, behind the room where we would be meeting, and she began her work of art. But it didn’t just make my hands more acceptable, it made my heart feel loved and grateful. In the midst of working hoursevery day for 4 weeks, this is a little moment that stands out in my mind.
It is the little ways you fill a heart–when you may not even know how much it meant. A kind word, a hug, a small token of love, a service to lighten the load, coming along beside. These are the small things that make a grand contribution to the filling of our hearts with all that we need to keep going.
I have seen so many ways that God has blessed me along the way, sending angels in the form of sweet friends, women who work side by side with me at conferences, those who send sweet notes of encouragement and prayer to email or fb, a sweet friend who spent an hour at my house while I was writing and put away all the valentine decorations in my home, knowing I could not, and even a 25 year old son who cleaned my house while I was away judging a speech and debate tournament for Joy and returned to a sparking home.
Oh the small graces in our lives that fill our hearts. I am so very thankful for so many of you who care. May He fill your hearts with the knowledge that every little deed given in love goes into the heart. Know that all your small deeds and practices of love are the grand investment that add up to make a difference in someone else’s life.
Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.
Henry David Thoreau
PS Thanks, Spritti Bee, for sneaking this picture. I appreciate you, too.
Sally, you fill me up every time I read your posts! Thank you and have a blessed day.
So excited to pamper some moms tonight coming to our Mission of Motherhood book club: ) It makes me feel great to be able to pamper them when they do so much for their families. I’m happy you were pampered too, after all the hearts you pampered at your conferences the past few weeks! You deserve it!
Oh Sally, I know just how you feel today! One of our boys came down with walking pneumonia and a massive ear infection this week and all of us have this awful bone rattling cough. When I talked with a sweet friend yesterday about the field trip we’re having to miss today, she immediately offered to bring dinner last night. I said YES! It was such a blessing to us, and I’m so grateful for the little things that bring such big joy and relief. I also have another friend who offered to bring dinner tonight, so I am definitely feeling loved.
I’m glad you had a moment of pampering during the absolutely amazing conference – this was the first year I was able to attend and boy, it was a huge encouragement! Thank you for hauling those book boxes!
Praying for rest and peace to fill your surroundings even now!
Yay!
I had notice that when we allow Him to work in us everything around us starts to work like an orchestra. Sally your ministry is so blessed.
I had been hesitant to write, not been ready yet. My children are still little and it is a challenge to sit and write, more if English is not your mother language.
But, as I was reading your online letter this morning and now your blog. Just want to say Thanks. Thanks again and again for believing in Him, and working with Him.
And it is something about hands that had been printed on my mind and my heart since attending the conference in Colorado last January. From the whole experience of attending the conference and my encounter with our Father I am so glad and I know I was guided to be there.
It happens that the night before the flight back, which night I could not sleep, but spent in prayer I wrote this:
And happens that for a reason I do not understand I started thinking later that hands are very important for me. I always look at the hands of people. I observe the color, how soft, how rough and tired they can look. When I met Sally yesterday, then I remembered, yes I spend quite a while of time observing her hands. No perfect manicured, or polished. Just natural yet they look soft; they show the signs of time, but graciously beautiful hands that she moves with grace, elegance and gestures which describes a real life. As for me, to shake her hand was not possible in a business cold way, I needed to hold them in between both of mine.
And then You for some reason, made me look and I saw and whisper Oh, my hands are beautiful, are they? And it came to my mind the sound of my own memory singing to my Grace how beautiful her baby hands are. And then I thought about, and ask myself and wonder, and wished to know if one day my mother also used to sing about my beautiful baby hands.”
Sorry if it was difficult to read. I am trying to be faithful to my manuscript. I look at it now and I can see how my life had progressed in a few weeks.
I am one of those Christian mothers hungry for biblical encouragement and vision you mentioned. But guess what? I must confess that unless I was finally blessed in my heart as a real Christian, then I have more encouragement that I would never imagine been able to receive or the vision I would never imagine in the past. But first, I had to work hard to honestly open my heart to Him, and to understand, believe, and breathe what this whole thing, this whole life, is a work in progress. And we need to be committed and trust because it is difficult and full of distractions.
Then, I noticed I was surrounded by all these mother’ hands working, giving. Indeed a full symphony of undescriptible women.
I do not want to list names since I have no experience in how good or bad can that be in the blog. But, dears, I am so glad I was there to listen to you! And then was someone there with her open arms ready to pray understanding better than myself what was going on with me.
Someone else to tell me from the heart, looking at my eyes and with a big smile, “hey we all carry some baggage.”
I was able to appreciate how mothers in the middle of anything and everything in their lives are working so passionate in this mission. Their energy is contagious and exciting, yet they offer you comfort and peace.
I can be here forever, and that is not a good thing meanwhile my five year old is building an airport in the table and my 21 month old is practicing art with a marker in her legs…! Not knowing what will be for dinner today and have to get all ready for piano and tap.
I have to go now, but yes I am looking to continue attending the conference; dragging with me at least another mom next time. And, getting some savings together to go to the intensive.
Thank you.
You look positively beautiful and radiant, Sally (whether you feel that way or not at the moment!) Be blessed. xo
Love you Sweetest of all Sally’s!!
xxoo