1 Peter 1:18-25 / Mark 10:32-45
There is a famous painting which was originally called "Hands". But we would know it more popularly as "Praying Hands".
At the bottom left corner of this painting are the initials A.D., which are the initials of the artist Albrecht Durer.
The hands that modeled for his painting were the hands of his brother Albert.
He drew the hands of his brother as a tribute to him.
The story is that Albert worked in the coal-mines to sponsor Albrecht to go the the Art Academy.
Albert also desired to be an artist but his work in the coal-mines left him with broken fingers and arthritis.
The drawing of Albert's hands only goes to show that love is a sacrifice and service with love is also a sacrifice.
Jesus served us by sacrificing Himself, and it is a sacrifice that freed us and saved us.
So whenever we join our hands to pray, let us remember that other things will come and go, the grass will wither and the flower will fade.
But the sacrifice we make in the form of a loving service to others, that sacrifice will remain and will be remembered.