The Palms of Their Hands

In my personal study this Palm Sunday morning, I was drawn back to some images from our time serving as mission leaders in Belgium and the Netherlands.

As I thought about that first Palm Sunday, not just the crowds in Jerusalem, waving branches as Jesus Christ entered the city and not just the cries of “Hosanna” – please save us.

But what sticks with me most is this…

𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔.

I remembered the photos of our sister missionaries in 2023 and 2024.

Words written across their palms – simple, and yet powerful.

At the time, they were part of what we were building with our social media missionaries.

We were learning how to show up, how to share faith in a digital space, how to reach people we might never meet.

But looking back, it wasn’t just about content.

It was about connection.

Those hands said something words alone often don’t. They pointed, in a very human way, to something deeper. A reminder that the message we share isn’t abstract. It’s personal.

That’s what makes President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation from 2021 stay with me: “I invite you to make this coming week truly holy by remembering – not just the palms that were waved to honour the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem – but by remembering the palms of His hands.”

And then the promise from Isaiah: “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”

That changes how I see those images.

The missionaries wrote on their hands to share a message.

Christ bears marks in His hands because we are the message.

He has felt our pains, knows us personally, loves us unconditionally, and will never abandon us.

Palm Sunday isn’t just about a moment in history.

It’s a reminder that even when we feel forgotten, we are not – we are never forgotten.

And whether it’s through a post, a conversation, or even a simple image, the mission is still the same: to help people remember that.

How do you remind yourself that He hasn’t forgotten you?