Lore Ferguson Wilbert - Handle With Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry

I was never one who just knew she would write a book someday. I never burned inside with desire to see my name on a cover. In some ways, it embarrasses me that this book has been written and my name is, indeed, on the cover. This book should have the names of all those who gently (and sometimes not so gently) prodded me along the way for the past twenty-two years, since I first exercised my writing muscles.

To Mykl, for never letting me get away with lazy writing, even at fifteen years old.

To Nan, for making me write and rewrite, for being believey in me when I certainly didnt believe in myself.

To Tony, for giving me affirmation that kept me writing for years.

To my agent, Bill, for sticking with me all these years, with all these fits and starts, proposals and plummets, and hemming and hawing.

To Matt, for all the ways you have shepherded and loved me. I love Jesus at my core because of your relentless determination to speak His name above all others.

To Grant, Soley, and Lindsey for the title.

To my first readers, Mason, Haley, Greg, JLayne, Kelly, Steve, Rachel, and KJ, your pushback and encouragement was right and good and needed.

To Kelsey, who went above and beyond on the first edit of this book and made all the disparate pieces fit.

To Chandler, for organizing my life and work cheerfully. (Write everyday; dont stop.)

To Jennifer, for telling me all those years ago that if I ever wrote a book, you wanted to publish it.

To Ashley, for being an excellent and thorough editor. And to the whole B&H Team for taking a wild chance on a first-time author with a weird book idea.

To my Sayable.net readers. You have cheered me, corrected me, spurred me on to love and good works, notified me of typos, supported me with your messages and encouragement for almost twenty years. Sayable exists because of you, and therefore I write because of you.

To my church family, to whom its no secret I dont run at a high capacity. Thank you for the grace and time I needed to do the work this subject needed and never putting pressure on me to serve at a higher capacity than I was able. Thank you, specifically to my Home Group for being excited every step of the way and for being generous huggers.

To Janine, to whom the idea of personal space is unheard of. I am better for it. I am most at home when I am near you. This book was birthed in our friendship and formed by it more than I can ever express with words.

And to Nathan, for being my best confidant, encourager, challenger, and toucher. I think this book was waiting for you and I could not have written it without the honor of being your wife and having you in my life. Your hands were one of the first things I noticed about you, sitting across from me in Connection Central, turning the pages of your Bible, scribing notes in the margins. Of all the things I love about you, it is the way you use your handsto love, to cherish, to serve, to rest, to shepherd, and to careI love you most.

To God, who formed, knit, and crafted every human body that has ever existed and imprinted them each with Your own image. What a generous Creator You are.