The Hand

It was nearing Thanksgiving and the teacher had just given the children instructions to draw something for which they were very thankful.As she looked at the children she thought in her heart: These poor little children have so very little to be thankful for, half-fed, half-clothed. They all came from the poorer part of town. What would they draw that they were especially thankful for?As her eyes wandered over the room they finally came to David. Her heart went out to him. He was so thin and uncared for, so shy. He didn't enter into the games with the other boys for he wasn't able to hold his own with them. They rejected him. He was a Jew and they were Protestants and Catholics.Inspite of her best efforts she knew they ridiculed his religion behind her back. Always, when she was on duty on the playground, David would follow her about like a shadow as she moved around. He pressed very close to her as if for protection. What would he draw for which he was very thankful? The drawings were completed and she held them up for the class to see. There were the usual turkeys, tables laden with food, pets and people. But David had drawn a hand and when she held it up she did not tell them who had drawn it. It got many responses from the children. One child said, "That is the hand of God, for he gives us everything." Another said, "That represents the hands of the Prophets that help us." The teacher felt grateful for these comments. This drawing caused more comments than any of the others. But David said nothing. The teacher was curious, so when the other children were busy working on their next assignment she leaned close to David and she said softly and quietly, "Whose hands are you especially grateful for David?"Looking up at her face with tears in his eyes he said simply, "Yours."Then she remembered the numerous occasions when he had pressed closely to her and she had reached down and taken his hand in hers and pressed it warmly.
She had given something of herself to this little boy that was most priceless to him and for that he was eternally grateful!