After experiencing a rough week, I still had to work this past Saturday morning and later in the afternoon. I was already going to Aurora for work in the afternoon, so I decided to visit a church I wanted to try out in Aurora that night instead of Sunday morning. Seemed a practical way to save gas money…yet God had reasons why He led me to this decision.
As I walked into the Worship Center at the church, I was welcomed by an older lady who asked me if I could use a hug. Perhaps I had this look on my face that said, “I’ve had a rough week, today I had to navigate my way here since the interstate was closed with an accident, and I’m exhausted from having worked all day.” I call it my “I’m overwhelmed with all the transition/adjustments look” which in some ways I don’t like and wish I could hide it, but in other ways I’ve found it to be a great asset as people seem more willing to help you. I don’t know why this lady asked, but she did! I was surprised and told her sure! After we hugged, I let her know this was the first time I’d been to this church. Her face brightened as she told me she was even more glad I was there, and proceeded to tell me she loved her church and why.
As I sat waiting for the worship service to begin, I thought about how that hug encouraged me. Here I am in the midst of strangers, a strange place…okay everything strange right now, and then someone I don’t even know would want to give me a hug. In the moment of the hug, it seemed that all the stress of the week just disappeared. I felt like I was in a safe place, somewhere I could just come and be with God and everything else could just disappear (for now).
I thought back to memories of the morning, when I was working with the youth in the Bronco Room. Several kids came up to me and gave me a hug. In my three weeks of working, I’ve had a hug here or there from a kid, but this particular morning, it seemed to be “the thing to do.” I didn’t think much of it then, other than to give these kids a hug. All of a sudden that evening, I saw things in a different light. The kids I work with also live in a strange place (many of them have moved many times), many of them go to a different school (if they go to their old school, they have to take different transportation to get there)..they too are experiencing hard times. Perhaps a hug for them, is just a stable thing that says “someone cares” and is a chance for a little bit for life to just say “It will be okay” or “This is a safe place.”
What would it take for me to look at a complete stranger and ask “Do you need a hug?” How could one simple hug make a difference in somebody’s life, giving them a perhaps much needed dose of encouragement?
A hug….a simple way of extending God’s love to those around us.
Will you be willing to extend God's love today...all by the simple act of a hug?
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