I Think God is a Hugger

The cherry trees were beautiful. The monuments were too, but to this mother's heart, the most beautiful sight I saw on my first night in Washington was my daughter.

All grown up and knee-deep in her first full-time job, she now lives three states away. I hadn't seen her since New Years day and couldn't wait for my birthday weekend so I could visit.

The first thing I did was hug her tightly, trying in vain to express all the happiness that was bubbling out of me. Although we talk often by phone, electronic communication just doesn't compare to sharing a great big bear hug every now and then. It was an exuberant, unrestrained expression of love.

While I've never read a Bible verse about whether God is a hugger, I strongly suspect he is. Many times during periods of sorrow and joy I have experienced the indescribable feeling of God wrapping his big strong arms around me in a tender embrace. Others have shared this same experience.

Listen to one young lady's description of the night she came to faith in Christ:

"As we were praying, an indescribable feeling flooded the room. I will never forget that feeling or that moment of Him being right there next to me, wrapping me up so tenderly in His arms. It felt like the first hug I had ever known."

This young lady became a Christian at a summer camp. As she began to experience the joy of her salvation, she wrote this:

"The rest of the session I was so eager and ready to learn, and so desperately afraid to return home and lose God and all these people who knew Him and hugged like Him."

People who "knew Him and hugged like Him."

This phrase challenges and convicts me. I ask myself, in the busyness of my life, how often do I stop and hug people like he does? It's easy to hug people I love, like my sweet daughter, but I have a harder time hugging the unlovely. 

But these are the very people who need a hug from God, through me, most of all.

 Lord, help me hug like you hug. 

"We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

How about you? Have you ever been hugged by God? Tell us about it in the comment box below. I'd love to hear your story. And if you're reading by email, click here to leave a comment.

"We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). 

 

You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 

 

 

Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?

Some anniversaries are happy, like wedding anniversaries (27 in December) and homeowner anniversaries (23 and paid for).

Some anniversaries are not so happy, like those that mark the time since loved ones have passed away. This month my family marks two such anniversaries. On August 1, 2010, my sister-in-law Kay died unexpectedly of a triple brain aneurysm while we were away on a mission trip to Mexico. Three weeks later, on August 21, my sister Cindy died from complications involving a toxic interaction of long-term prescribed medications.

Today my baby sister, Tina, sent me a song message. When I opened her voice mail, I heard a classic love song by Rod Stewart.  It asked a question that we should all consider from time to time, "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?" Based on Stewart's other musical offerings, it's safe to say that he has a very skewed understanding of what true love is, but he asks a great question.

We were 3,000 miles away from home last summer when we received word that Kay had died. Immediately my husband's thoughts returned to his last conversation with his sister three days before we left for Mexico. Extremely busy with last minute trip preparations, he heard her voice over the answering machine. Tempted not to pick up the phone because of the press of the To Do List, he instead let his heart rule over his head. He talked with Kay for a few minutes. Ever the big sister, she told him she was proud of him for the way he was preparing to lead our team to minister in Mexico.

"I love you brother, " she concluded. 

"I love you too," he said as he ended the conversation.

Those were the last words they would exchange on this side of eternity.

My sister's death was very different. Experiencing a toxic interaction between several prescribed medications, Cindy went into respiratory arrest one night. By the time she reached the hospital, all her body systems were failing.

Cindy stayed in a coma on a respirator for over three weeks while we wondered, and hoped, and prayed. Then one day, she opened her eyes. A few days later her kidneys began to function, and she was weaned from the respirator. Uncertain of how much brain damage she had suffered, we continued to talk, sing, and joke with her. Mostly she stared, eyes unfocused, while we wondered if the Cindy we knew was still in there somewhere.

I visited one day during those uncertain times. As I greeted her, I leaned close to press my cheek against her forehead. Surprisingly, her arm came up in an awkward embrace, and she haltingly spoke the words I never thought I would hear from her lips again, "Ahh wuv oooo."

"Ah wuv oooo, too," I blubbered back. Cindy was usually the one to say "I love you" first. Though we lived in two very different worlds, we shared the common bond of a sister's love that transcended our differences.

Although Cindy began to deteriorate rapidly after that wonderful day, I realized that God had heard our prayers. We asked God to heal Cindy.  He gave her back to us for those brief days in order that we might tell her, one more time, that we loved her, and to hear her say it too.  We ended each visit the same way, even the last night I saw her.  By then she was unable to respond, but I said it anyway.

"Ah wuv oooo, Cindy Lou."


Have I told you lately that I love you?

If you need to say it to someone, don't wait another minute.

 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  (John 15:12)

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  (1 John 4:12)

If this post has blessed you, you can share it with someone who needs encouragement by clicking on the button below.  If you would like to receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts in your email box, click on the link on the upper right to subscribe by email.