Bless the Hands and Hearts

"Lord, bless the hands that made this meal;
these young, unseasoned hands of the new wife.
Bless the hands that reach for her mother's recipe book,
and that wipe tears of homesickness from her cheeks.
Bless her hands, Lord.

"Bless the efficient, work-worn hands of the mother of eight;
the hands that wipe runny noses, hang out laundry
and knead big batches of bread.

"Bless these hands, Lord, these wrinkled, shaky hands of Grandma;
the hands that cook for only one but could tell stories of meals for twelve...
these tender hands that have guided other hands in learning to cook.

"And Lord, especially bless their hearts.

"Bless the heart of the young wife, Lord--
The one who tries so hard to cook attractive and
nourishing meals for her new husband;
the one who pours so much love and care into each dish.

"Bless the heart of the busy mother,
she who so often is weary but still rejoices in her family.
The heart of she who always prays for those for whom she is cooking,
the heart that weeps with the struggling teen,
that encourages the budding cook,
that worries over the little one whose appetite is poor.

"Bless the heart of the aged cook,
the heart who has spent and been spent in the service of others,
the heart that beats strong with love for God,
yet grows weaker each passing day.

"Thank You, Lord, for each meal prepared by these dear hands,
tempered by these loving hearts. Amen."

- Faith Sommers
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