There is Power in a Hug

A hug delights and warms and charms,

that must be why God gave us arms.
~Author Unknown

Today I had the opportunity to serve people at an organization called World Impact.  One of the services the organization offers is a hot breakfast to inner city residents.  This morning with all of the wind and the rain coming down, residents came to partake of the blessings of God in the form of a meal.

As I walked around the room I met a man who admitted to me that he had not taken a bath in over three days.  As he extended his hand, somehow we found ourselves in a hug; it was true—he had not taken a bath for over three days!  The amazing thing is, as we spoke the odor dissipated.  I felt Christ in that hug!  Many of us, me included, love to hug who we believe to be the beautiful people, the ones with the nice clothes and good smelling cologne or perfume.

The truth is that there a lot of people who may look good and smell good, but lack love and character, which makes them smell like they have not bathed in three days.

Over the years I have come to be known for my hugs.  As I speak to various groups, invariably I will find myself in a hug.   There is a group that I speak to regularly and when someone is down they will come to me and ask for a hug.   After the hug they always say that it makes them feel better, maybe because they can sense that it is authentic.   There is power in a hug.

My wife and my kids love to hug each other every day.  When things are going well or not so well a hug seems to make everything better.  I love it when my daughter sits on my lap and hugs me so tight that I am about to burst.  I also love to see my son standing over his mother giving her a hug around her shoulders and neck that makes her light up with the love of a proud mother.  There is power in a hug.

Millions and millions of years would still not give me half enough time to describe that tiny instant of all eternity when you put your arms around me and I put my arms around you.  ~Jacques Prévert

A genuine embrace that comes from the care and love for another human being is a powerful thing.  I am not talking about the shoulder bump, but an embrace where both of you feel the warmth of the other person.  There is power in a hug.

Do you need a hug?  Have you hugged someone today?  If not, reach out and hug someone, there is power in a hug!