establish the work of our hands

Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish the work of our hands --
yes, establish the work of our hands.

Ps 90:17

Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Prov 14:1

Only God can establish the impermanent work of mothering. 

The dishes must be washed, again. 

The diaper must be changed, again.

The floor must be swept, again.

The bed must be made, again. 

The cupboards must be filled, again. 

The bread must be made, again.

The couch cushions straightend, the crumbs wiped, the laundry folded, the sheets changed, the counters wiped, the meals cooked, the bottles made--again.

The feeding and rocking and patting and lullabies unending, the wispers and kisses continuous. The motions repeated without number--numbered, at least, by God alone.

But God can, and will, prosper my hands so that these acts, unseen and seemingly unimportant, will last forever. I have open eyes this morning to the sacred and holy task of my hands, tasks that shape a small person, his mind, his spirit, his character, his heart, his soul--forever.

Let your favor rest on all that I do. Prosper my smallest labors to last forever, to build this home, to lead little hearts to you. Set my heart on you, ready me for eternity, and let me prepare those in my home to live with you forever through my brief and fleeting time as wife and mother. Thank you for this glorious, weighty, sacred duty and gift.