Grandma's hands...I received a touching email this week about the changes in our hands over the years from tiny hands of a baby to the frail weathered hands of the elderly, and how our hands serve us and others in so many ways.

This reminded me of my dear grandmother Freida who came over to this country so many years ago. She left her family in Germany to stay with relatives here in Iowa and while working as a maid she met my grandpa and never returned.

I cannot even imagine the courage she must have had to leave her family over seas while she was only 19 years old. She had to learn to adjust to speaking English, I still remember her broken dialect over the years. She was always busy gardening, canning, baking, mending, cleaning and raising her children. We can learn so much from our grandparent's lives. She and grandpa had a strong faith in God and believed in hard work. They lived through some very bleak times during the Great Depression, survived through times of wars, illness and hardships. Today we are faced with some of the similar challenges that they may have faced years ago. The economy is affecting many of our loved ones and some of us are wondering...why? We can look back at our grandparents and learn from their struggles. They perservered when times were tough they didn't quit.

Our hands have their own story to tell...a lifetime of serving us. Hands for holding, working, serving...what story will your hands tell over time? I hope I can use mine to help, hold and heal.