Not long after we moved into our house in 2004, the builders came out to pour the concrete for the sidewalk. The kids were outside playing and came in so excited to tell me that they got to put their handprints in the concrete. At the time, Joshua was 7 and Elizabeth was 5, and it was so adorable to see their little prints every time I walked down the sidewalk.
Fast forward to the fall of 2016. I am walking down the sidewalk and realize their handprints are gone. My heart was crushed, broken. It nearly knocked the breath out of me. It had been three years since Joshua had moved to Heaven. In that time we had been forced to delete him from our taxes, our insurance, and our Christmas gift list. Even a simple card to someone from our family no longer included his name. It felt like everywhere I turned he was being erased. Like he never existed.
But he did exist. And I know he did. Because he left his handprints on my heart and on the hearts of so many others.
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17
The things of this world will pass away. Life on earth is temporary. Our physical bodies are temporary. What will not fade away are the handprints we leave on the hearts of others. They make an impact, whether positive or negative, good or bad, kind or unkind, Not only will that handprint last a lifetime, it will also affect the handprints they leave on the hearts of others.
Every time something of Joshua’s fades away, it stings my heart. It hurts to see the physical things from his life disappear. That is why it is so special to hear him spoken of by others.
Each time someone speaks his name to me, each time someone says I was thinking about something Joshua said or did, it reminds me that he hasn’t disappeared. His handprint continues to make an impact on the world. I cling to those moments that help mend my broken heart.
And, I cling to God’s promise of an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-5
Every encounter I have with someone else leaves a mark. May we all leave handprints on the heart that leave others better and glorify God!
With Eyes on the Cross 