Fingerprints of Grace

Why ‘Fingerprints of Grace?’

In 2011, our daughter, Hannah Grace, was born in Busselton, Western Australia. At eighteen months, she was diagnosed with a terminal condition called Leigh Disease. She died one year later. You can read our story in my book, Fingerprints of Grace.

A month or so after her death, I cleaned the sliding doors at the side of our house. As I rubbed the cloth across the glass, I noticed faint marks, left by tiny hands: Hannah’s fingerprints. For weeks, we had walked past those fingerprints daily, yet failed to notice them. This is one reason I chose to name the book, Fingerprints of Grace. Hannah left a lasting legacy within our family, corps and community. And through this book, as Tim remarked, ‘her faith still speaks.’ The other reason for the title relates to the enduring work of God’s hands.

Fingerprints are scattered throughout our homes and workplaces, but we rarely see them. By using the right tools, however, detectives find fingerprints everywhere. The Holy Spirit, who lives within His children, is a tool to discover God’s fingerprints in our lives. When I reflect on our time with Hannah, I see that God’s fingerprints of grace were evident throughout the journey. In the prayers and support of family and friends. In health professionals who listened and cared. In the comfort of His presence and His promises. It’s easy to recognise God’s fingerprints in miracles. But how often, I wonder, do we overlook them in the commonplace?

Fingerprints of Grace are www.koorong.com.au and www.salvationarmy.org.au/supplies