HUGS

If you don't like reading politically "incorrect" statements or suggestions please stop reading right now. In fact, if you stop reading right now I would love to meet you. I have never met someone who is "politically correct" all the time.

I was watching a show last night where a woman was trying to help reconcile two ladies. The main woman kept saying to the one lady, "Hug her! Give her a hug! Go on... Hug her."

The one lady was hesitant and did not want to hug the other lady.
The woman in a very strong, firm, yet gentle loving voice said, "Hug her. Hugs stand for Helping Us Grow Spiritually."

Helping
Us
Grow
Spiritually...

I love it!

My iWitness...

Here comes the politically incorrect part of the blog.

Hug someone today.

Reach out and physically touch and embrace another human being.
Don't do what I call the "Butterfly" hug where you lean over at the waist and perhaps your shoulder lightly touches another person's shoulder while you flap your hands on their back ever so gently and softly. I mean... HUG someone! Embrace them fully!

If the acronym HUGS holds true, then I was the most Spiritually Grown man when I was pastoring First Presbyterian Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
I hugged about 300-400 people a week.

If the acronym HUGS holds true, then I am shriveling away spiritually in the University setting. If I hug one person a week while on campus that might be stretching it just a bit. The University setting is a "no touching, no hugging zone" for the most part. For me, who loves to embrace, this has been one of the more difficult transitions over the last 20 months or so.

Yes, I understand that "touching" has a very negative connotation these days with all the sexual abuse scandals that have gone on in the past decade. I get it. But, in the same sense it seem like we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. We have this incredible gift from God of "touch and feel" (one of our five senses) and with each passing day this gift gets placed high on the shelf for no one to see or touch.

If Jesus was around today in the flesh He would have a problem on his hands, literally.
Jesus loved to touch and embrace people.

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10. 13-16)

There is something very spiritual,
very healing,
very refreshing,
very freeing,
very invigorating when we embrace one another.

HUGS!
Let's grow spiritually today...

And that's my iWitness...With a Big HUG!!
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"Greet one another with a holy kiss..." (Romans 16. 16)
Now that's for another blog! Just stick with hugging today!!