Fingerprints...

I am doing a bible study with an amazing group of Godly girlfriends and it has me doing a lot of thinking.

The best way I can describe the study is to say that we’re taking a look at God’s fingerprints.

Through a variety of exercises, we are drumming up memories all the way back to frizzy haired pig tails and big girly bows, and we’re looking for all the ways that the Lord has directed our lives and equipped us to better serve Him.

Phew! It’s been a wonderful (albeit exhausting) glimpse into my life of 30 + years.

Today as I arrived back home from the study I was caught up in the ‘to do’ list for the next few hours:

1) Wash the car
2) Clean the kitchen
3) Pick up around the house…

As I parked the car in the driveway, I realized I had forgotten to run through the car wash.

‘Oh well, I guess I’ll run out later and get that done.’

I slammed the car door shut and looked back over the dirty car…a thin coat of dirt covered the entire surface and a lovely “artistic” smear was slapped across the window.

I turned from the car and stuck my key into the lock of my house door and my stomach dropped when I realized how nasty the glass on my door had gotten over the weekend of kids running in and out.

‘Great, one more thing to clean up I guess.’

I plopped my purse and keys on the kitchen counter and turned my head to see another glimpse of ‘mess’ that needed my attention. This time it was the slimy little mess that covered the stainless steel of my dishwasher.

“Man, is there any surface in this entire house that isn’t covered in fingerprints!!” I said to myself in exhaustion…

And that’s when it hit me…

Immediately, I felt God saying to my heart… “Cyndie, those fingerprints are my gift to you.”

As I thought back over the “messes” of fingerprints that covered my car window, side-door and dishwasher; I realized they were in fact God’s gifts to me.

Sure, to the naked eye, they just looked like “messes” - areas that needed attention and cleaning.
But, in reality they are little gifts left by my family – the people whom I love the absolute most in my life.

I wonder if that’s how God looks at me. Sometimes my life can seem “dirty” or out of control. I can feel like I am smeared and covered in a thin layer of “gunck”. But, God is looking down at me saying,

“Precious child…you are not a smeared mess…you are my daughter and I am going to take the ‘gunck’ off of you and help you to realize it is my fingerprints that are covering your life– my little reminders of who is actually in control.”

And so, today I say, praise God for fingerprints!

I think I’ll actually bypass the car wash for a few more days…

Sometimes you need little reminders that your Daddy is watching over you!