Hugs

 Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear....."

I don't even have to step outside my walls to hear the crying and the hurting. I try to keep my ears open and strive to be alert to even a faint appeal from the bleeding hearts around me. Even as I listen, I want to help them. But I find that I often don't have words to say. I feel helpless to know how to reach out.

I read the things you are and aren't supposed to say to hurting people. I have been in circumstances of my own when nothing anyone could say seemed to be what I needed. It's impossible to feel the right kind of emotion for every difficult situation and know how to reach out.

 We overthink how to do this thing of "reaching out." Sometimes we even choose to not do anything. We are at a loss what to say. There are times it brings back hurtful reminders of our past when someone is in trouble and you have no words. Then there are people who have hurt us who are in need of help, and we really don't want to help them. But many times, we are inwardly hurting for the hurting and felt helpless. Emotions are always hard to direct in the right channels in a moment of need. It's easier to ignore them. That hurts you and robs others of blessing.

What I do believe in and receive blessing from is a pure, simple hug!!!

I recently met up with an old friend whom I hadn't seen for years. We had parted ways, without bad feeling, only differing opinions. I was thrilled,  but a little apprehensive about meeting her face to face. But, our embrace spanned all those years and we connected again. Her hug was so tight and reassuring.  It simply said " I still remember that we are forever friends and I love you." We didn't even have a chance to visit much but I walked away so comforted by that warm hug!!

At our church, we have some foster children and kids dealing with messy family issues. I try to reach out with a hug every time I see them.  They always respond. A couple of days ago, one little boy leaned in and tightened that hug. I think we both needed it. It said, "You're important to me."

We used to make our children hug after they were having a "fight". They hated it but it always broke the ice and brought them back around. Hugs can say "I'm sorry."

I have a lot of friends that have shared tears and hugs with me. They don't have much to say but their expressions of caring speak to me. They are saying, "I am hurting with you,"

I love it when a friend posts the little word through texting or social media, "Hugs!"

It speaks volumes to me. A little card in the mail that has just simple, caring words touches me more than a long letter trying to get me to understand that you care.

A quote I love says it all. "I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words."

My encouragement is to reach out and give a hug or simply say, " I care" or " Praying for you." Just because we don't have a lot of words to say doesn't mean we can't  be a comfort to people. 

There are so many ways to send a hug!!! 

Give them out freely. I like to get them and I want giving them to be a natural reaction to those who need them. And that's pretty well everyone!!