One night while I was out of town, my husband, Paul, attended the church where our youngest son is youth pastor. He enjoyed snuggles during the service from Ava, our 7-year-old granddaughter, and Nolan, our 3-year-old grandson,.
When church was over, Paul said his goodbyes to everyone. He headed down the hallway to the exit when he heard Nolan’s little footsteps running behind him and then, “Granddaddy! Granddaddy, don’t leave! I need another hug before you go.”
Yes, a definite heart-melt moment.
And that got me to thinking about the gift of hugs.
1) Hugs give comfort.
After my dad’s suicide, a woman I didn’t know came to his visitation. She softly said, “My dad did the same thing.” And then she wrapped me in a hug that gave so much solace.
2) Hugs say what we can’t.
I recently attended the funeral of a man who was very special to our family. There were so many things I wanted to say to his sweet family, but the words simply weren’t there.
3) Hugs show love.
Does anything feel better than a child’s arms wrapped around you? Or what about the hugs from a soldier’s family as he returns from deployment? Hugs speak volumes.
4) Hugs provide security.
A hug before a child leaves for school says, “I love you, and no matter what happens at school today, you have someone at home who cares about you.”
Those kinds of hugs are wonderful, but the best hugs are the ones we get from heaven—the ones God sends to us in those moments when we’re hurting or when we need to know we are loved. I’ve had many instances in my life like that. Times when things were falling apart or when my heart was breaking—and then I’d feel His sweet presence wrap around me like a holy hug. I can’t describe the comfort that brought.
A friend once told me about a female co-worker who came to her and said, “Would you mind giving me a hug? No one ever touches me.”
That was so sad to me. There’s a deep need in all of us to feel loved—and human touch is part of that. So today my challenge is to find someone to hug—a senior citizen who lives alone, a single mom who has the weight of the world on her shoulders, a friend who’s lost someone she loved, a child who doesn’t receive love at home, our spouse, our children—the list could go on and on.
Just do it—because a hug is a gift from the heart, and it’s always the perfect gift for someone who needs it
