Comfort

Castle Fortress Architecture Clouds Alcazar Segovia

Peace is Found in Trusting Jesus

By / 4 minutes of reading / , ,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

Medieval Europe

I recently watched a documentary about life in Europe during the centuries after the turn of the first millennia (1000 AD – 1500AD). I was fascinated by the “Millennials.” 😉 The old guard had their fears and concerns about the younger generation’s ideas. Millennials seemed to be striving for more individual freedoms, yet, the old order wasn’t sure if it wanted society to change. The Millennials wished to keep the benefits provided by the status quo, but they also wanted more liberty to participate in commerce.

During this time, the ideas of personal property and personal commerce began to be birthed – crazy Millennial ideas, right!? Make no mistake; royalty owned the people of their estate. A person couldn’t leave the lord’s estate without permission, and even a tree could not be cut down without approval and payment to their master.

Medieval Loyalty

Nevertheless, it served the lord’s needs for his people to be self-sustaining and loyal. Loyalty was essential because his people were his army. He only maintained a small standing army, but every man had to join the fight when trouble came. The lord didn’t provide any weapons. Each man had to use his own pitchfork, wooden hammer, and scythes as weapons. However, if a man proved to be exceptional in battle, his lord would reward him with a sword.

One aspect of the Middle Ages (Dark Ages) that never was clear to me was the selfless loyalty that many people gave to their king or master. A man called El Cid continued to give significant payments to Alfonso VI, the king of Castile and León, in medieval Spain, long after Alfonso VI had banished Ei Cid from his kingdom. You would think El Cid would have turned his back on Alfonso VI. Instead, El Cid never stopped calling Alfonso VI his king. In this historical account, I gained an insight into Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Peace is Found in Trust

We know that we each owe Jesus our total and complete loyalty 1. However, we may take for granted the comfort and peace of mind that we gain when we absolutely trust Jesus2. Even though our peace is found in our trust in Jesus, the truth is that we may not always know how to trust Jesus3. With that in mind, find a place where you can commune with Jesus and ask Him to help you with your doubts. You can pray, “Jesus, thank You for saving me. I give You my total loyalty; lead me in the life you want me to live.”

Jesus is the only one that can bring true peace and comfort into our lives4. If we are saved, we have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, living in us.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

John 15:26

Jesus is an endless source of love and mercy5, but we may not recognize this because we are too busy worrying about the troubles in our lives and around us6.

We are His, the sheep of His pasture7. Can we trust Jesus when we receive devastating news? Yes, He is our Lord8. Can we trust Jesus when politicians and scoundrels vandalize our nation? Yes, Jesus is our King9. Can we trust Jesus when the life we’ve loved is pillaged and ransacked? Yes, Jesus is God10.

By placing total trust in Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we can know that in Jesus, all things do work together for good11. Living each day with Jesus is how we can receive the comfort we need12.

Image by ELG21 from Pixabay

1 Matthew 10:33
2 Isaiah 12:2
3 Mark 9:24
4 Romans 14:17
5 Lamentations 3:22–23
6 Philippians 4:6–7
7 Psalm 100:3
8 Romans 10:9–13
9 Revelation 19:16
10 John 1:1
11 Romans 8:28
12 Matthew 6:34

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man sitting in an empty church

Take Me Back

By / 5 minutes of reading

I heard an interesting perspective about Peter and some other apostles at the Sea of Galilee after Jesus arose from His grave. We remember that all the apostles were scattered when the Pharisees apprehended Jesus under duress. Well, the apostle John didn’t scatter, but the rest did. Peter’s was the worst, for he watched the proceedings against Jesus but denied three times that he ever knew Jesus.

Denied Jesus

Before we get on the blame train, have we ever failed to pray at the beginning of lunch with an important client? Have we joined the guys in our brother-in-law’s living room to watch Sunday NFL but conveniently overlooked giving thanks to God for our food? Have we ever joined in wishing someone “good luck?” All of those are denying Jesus. So let’s be slow to judge.

Still, Peter knew he’d messed up real bad. I’m sure he felt like a failure and a hypocrite, the very things the official clergy had been saying about Jesus from the start.

Playing Left-Out

So, as the dust settled, Jesus had proved that He is the Son of God. Everyone could feel the momentum building. His followers were full of questions, and excitement, and anticipation, but not Peter. He thought that he’d missed the boat. Everything Jesus had said was beginning to be fulfilled, but Peter was playing left-out on Christ’s baseball team.

In the Bible, the narrative shifts from Christ’s resurrection to Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus finds that the fishermen in His inner circle have gone back to their old lives. They were fishing for fish, not men. But I don’t believe Peter was there to catch fish. Peter had been in the inner circle of the inner circle of Jesus. Peter, James, and John were tight with Jesus.

Why was Peter in a Boat?

So, what would Peter be doing, back on the sea, the wind whipping the sail, and the lingering smell of old, dead fish – nothing. Peter was doing nothing. He was going through the motions but he felt dead inside. Have we ever gone through the motions? Years ago, I wrote a song that had the line:

You go through the motions without emotions, and you that that ain’t no good.

I think that was what Peter was doing. Let me share a profound statement I heard a preacher say. He said, “Peter wasn’t there to catch fish. He was there because that was where he first met Jesus.” I think that’s true.

Back to the Beginning

I can’t make a doctrine out of that thought, but it makes sense to me because that’s what we all do when we really mess up, and we can’t see how God can take us back – when we know we deserve nothing from Jesus.

Maybe we ran away from Jesus on purpose. Perhaps in our hearts, for a fleeting moment, we wanted just to be our old selves. Immediately, like Peter, we know we’ve done wrong; not just wrong but we’ve broken our relationship with Jesus and invited an insurrection, just as the devil did in heaven.

I don’t know your experience. But here’s what I do know. In our relationship with Jesus, there always comes a time when our spirit cries out, “Take me back, to the place where I first received you” That’s a line from an André Crouch song.

Renewed Vows

Peter needed it. I needed it. Maybe you need it too. We don’t have to deny Jesus to need our life in Christ renewed. You may have read this post and not identified with a single feeling or problem. Praise God, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus doesn’t want you to renew your vows with Him.

You want to remind Jesus that you stepped out from those of the world. You stepped out for Jesus to see you. Oh, the preacher saw you. Maybe your momma saw you. Maybe a loved Sunday school teacher saw you. They may have gone on to glory, but Jesus is still here, and it sure would feel good to step out for Jesus.

Peter was ready. Oh, I’m sure he was a hurting man. So when the apostle John said, “Hey, I think that’s Jesus.” Peter didn’t have a moment of hesitation. He dove in the water and ran to his Master. And as Jesus does, Jesus restored him.

Cheap Grace

Jesus restored him but not with cheap grace. Peter had denied Jesus. He had broken faith with Jesus, the one Peter had received revelation from the Holy Spirit that Jesus was the “Son of God.” So Jesus prodded him. “Are you going to do what I have called you to do? Will you feed my sheep. Will you die for me?” Jesus asked Peter hard questions, and He does the same to us when we have sinned deeply. That’s how relationships work.

If my wife and I have a marriage threatening disagreement, it doesn’t get solved with a peck on the cheek and an “I still love you.” No, we must talk through the problem. Someone must change. We must make sure that our foundation is strong. That’s what Jesus did with Peter. That’s what Jesus will do with us, but maybe we need to go back to the start, like Peter. To go to the place we first received Jesus.

Step into the Aisle

Maybe we need to renew our vows to Him. Perhaps we need to step out, again, into the aisle at church; let everyone look. You can’t let the judgment of others overrule your intimacy with Jesus.

As you may have noticed, I feel strongly about this need, especially for people in leadership positions. If you’ve broken your relationship with Jesus or if you feel dry as dust, then ask Jesus to do for you what He did for Peter, to take you back to where you began your life in Him so He can restore you.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

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Eye Problem

By / 3 minutes of reading

Today, I would like us to consider people we will encounter when we venture out into this post-COVID world – I know COVID isn’t over but many mask mandates are.

April 6th was when Indiana dropped the face mask rule. Suddenly, restaurants are filling up, baseball games have spectators, and people are rediscovering those facial expressions hidden for over a year.

I see damaged people

In some ways, I see God’s perfect timing regarding COVID. It’s spring. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, the sun is bright, and we are finally seeing the smiles of friends, loved ones, and total strangers. How glorious it is to see the beauty in every face I see, for we all are created in the image of God.

During those fourteen months of the COVID winter, people’s faces were hidden, although we did learn to smile with our eyes (I hope we don’t lose that skill). But now, as I look into the faces of people on the street or in stores, I see damaged people. God designed us to be with others. No (happy) man is an island.

Eye Problem

Now that I see people’s faces, there seems to be an eye problem. We don’t know what to do with our eyes! I’ve seen eyes that seem lost, dazed, and confused. What is this new world? Why does it feel different from the one I spent my life in, that is, until March 2020?

It saddens me to see this pain in people’s faces. Oh, there’s joy there. They are now free. But as a poor dog kept on a chain, we’re not sure about our newly found freedom. What is appropriate? What will others accept?

Strange new world

Almost like a sci fi movie, we all have entered an alien world; for us, an uncharted world. If we have received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then we can rest in God’s message to us in Psalms 56:11:

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

As children of God, we can draw upon God’s strength for His Word declares in Psalm 100:3: “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” So, as His sheep, let us turn our concerns to others for “… my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

As we venture out into this new world, let’s love others and not fear them. Let’s extend compassion and be ready, like Jesus, to recognize the needs of the lost, dazed, and confused. Remember, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:14)

Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash

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God’s Comfort

By / 4 minutes of reading

Same Comforter

My daughter has Irish twins, that is, she gave birth to two babies less than a year apart; her’s are eleven months apart. They are such a blessing to her family and the grandparents. Of course, many times, the “twins” both need to be comforted at the same time but for different reasons; one has a skinned knee, and the other is sleepy. They have different needs, but they need the same comforter.

As followers of Jesus, we too have different needs at the same time and the same needs at different times, but we all need the same comforter. In Isaiah 51:12, the LORD tells us, “I, even I, am he who comforts you….” Jesus gives us further guidance in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

As Christians, I don’t think it’s possible to read the Bible and not know that God loves us, provides for us, heals us, comforts us, and has prepared an eternal home for us. These are all accessible to us if we enter the kingdom of God through faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

A world of problems

If there were no problems, no hurts, and no pains, there would be no need for comfort, but that’s not the world in which we live. The singer, songwriter, and pastor Andrae Crouch said it this way, “If I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them. I wouldn’t know what faith in God’s Word could do.” I agree with him.

We live in a harsh world but be full of courage and stand firm, for it is the one true God who comforts, defends, and provides for us when we, by the faith God has given us, appropriate God’s promises in His word.

A bit of caution

I do want to provide a few words of caution that we find in the Bible. The first one is found in Mark 11:24-25, where Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” and in James 4:3 (NLT) where we find: “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”  So, if we want God’s comfort, then we must behave like God’s children.

Give comfort

I want to challenge you to not only seek comfort but also to give comfort. I’m sure that many of us fear providing comfort to others, to strangers. However, there’s no reason to worry if these opportunities come from the same God that comforts you. In fact, I have a place for you to start.

When you are at a fast-food drive-thru window, bless the person working there. You’ve got 10, 15 seconds max. Don’t start a conversation, for there’s not enough time for that. Don’t attack them for unsatisfactory service. If it’s true, tell them you like their uniform or thank them for their help. If this fast-food stop is part of your routine, you’ll see them regularly. Let them know you recognize them, learn their name, and say their name when they are helping you. Let them know you appreciate them. Comfort goes both ways.

Prayer

Father, I ask for Your peace. Please save me from foolishness. I know giving comfort is often a challenge. Dear God, my spirit has been made alive through Christ’s work on the cross. Therefore, I will seek out Your promises and hold fast to them. I will remind myself that You said, “I, even I, am he who comforts you…” Thank You for Your comfort and strength so that I have Your peace. In the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, I pray. Amen

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

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baby chewing on blanket

God is beyond our wonder

By / 3 minutes of reading

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; – Isaiah 40:22

God is incomprehensible

God is big and complex and has story arcs that span millennia. He has created things so tiny we’ve yet to find the smallest. He made a universe so immense that humanity’s best minds are continually astonished from every device they send to study it. And still, God knows the number of hairs on my head, which decreases each day!

The beauty of oceans, rivers, and mountains is indisputable. The joy of Mom and Dad, bringing home their first baby child is indescribable. The treasure of the stories told by Grandma and Grandpa are inspirational. Yet none of these even approach the wonder of God Almighty. He is more. He is the Great I Am. He is beyond our wonder.

God is marvelous

In the oldest book in the Bible, God told Job that He “He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.“ (Job 26:7) And in Isaiah 40:22, we learn from God, “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth...” God told us these things some 3,000 years before there was a picture of Earth from space.

I’ll let you in on the weird questions nerdy Christians ask each other. This relates to the wonder of God. Jon: “Can God make a pizza so big that He can’t eat it?” Amy: “Yes, and then He’d eat it!” I’m serious; that was a real conversation. God is amazing, and His love for us exceeds our understanding.

God is wondrous

God is not a big cuddly teddy bear. He is fearsome (Jeremiah 20:11). He is furious with humanity (John 3:36). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). Still, He had the apostle John write to tell us that God is love (1 John 4:8). We can find the refuge we so desperately seek within Him (Psalm 62:8). And He will cover our sins (Psalm 32:1). How wondrous, how powerful, how compassionate is our God.

God is complex

We discover encouraging truths in the names of God that are used in the Bible. A few of the names of God that we find are:

God is beyond our wonder

Truly, we serve an incomprehensible, marvelous, wondrous, complex God that loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son to provide a way of escape from His wrath and judgment. What a mighty God we serve!

Photo by Matt Walsh on Unsplash

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childrens wooden blocks

1 + 1 ≠ 2

By / 3 minutes of reading / ,

It’s easy to look at something and see what we expect while missing what can be discovered. Those of us who regularly post blogs know the value of “fresh eyes.” If we can put aside a post for a few hours or a day before we need to publish it, we will almost always find something unexpected – errors to fix and better ways to communicate.

When 1 + 1 Does Not Equal 2

Let me give you a simple example of revealing something unexpected. We were taught very early in our lives was that 1+1=2. This math is learned so early in a child’s development that it becomes organic; it’s an axiom that’s not to be questioned. Nevertheless, right now, I’m going to prove that 1+1 does not always equal 2.

What I’m going to show is shockingly simple and staring us right in our faces. (By the way, the ≠ symbol means “not equal.”) Now here’s why 1 + 1 ≠ 2.

Let’s imagine that we have a tub full of children’s wooden building blocks. Each block has either a number, zero through nine, or the mathematical symbols + or -. 

Now you reach into the tub and pull out a block that has the number one on it. You repeat and pull out another block that has the number one on it. Finally, you reach in and pull out a block that has the plus symbol, which represents “addition.” So, how many blocks do you have? Yep, you have three blocks. So, 1+1=3. 🙂

Promises

The one true God, the Triune God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, has given promises to us throughout God’s Word, from Genesis through Revelation. They are there to be used. We use them for comfort, and we use them in our prayers to keep our prayers within God’s will. The following Psalm is one to which I hang on.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah – Psalms 46:1-3

The Holy Spirit inspired the Psalmist to write, “We will not fear though the earth gives way.” Right now, many people think the world is collapsing. They predict that economies will fail, populations will be decimated, and our creature-comforts will be lost. But they don’t see with fresh eyes. We, as believers, aren’t to fear any of those things.

We have a hiding place, a place where we can be covered; that place is in God, and Jesus is the only gate (John 10:9) through which we can enter God’s refuge. Sure, bad things may happen, but we serve a good God (Mark 10:18) that will help us through them.

As we walk through each day that God gives us, let’s ask Him for fresh eyes. There are too many wonderful things that God has in store for those that trust Him.

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I Go To The Rock

By / 2 minutes of reading / ,

There was a time, back when I was in my 20s when I played bass guitar in my local church and a Gospel group. That Gospel group was important because that’s where I met my wife-to-be. I’ve never met anyone that more exemplifies the Christian life than my wife, plus she’s beautiful and talented!

During my life in Gospel music, there was one songwriter that dominated the songs we played. That person was Dottie Rambo. She’s like the Loretta Lynn of Gospel music; more accurately, Loretta Lynn is like a Country music version of Dottie Rambo. Here’s some background about her:

Some of Dottie Rambo’s History

From her About page of the website for Dottie Rambo (1934-2008): Her songs have been recorded by such luminary artists as: Elvis Presley, Barbara Mandrell, Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Whitney Houston, Vince Gill, Dottie West, Pat Boone, Sandi Patty, the Oak Ridge Boys and countless others. Whitney Houston recorded, “I Go to the Rock” for the movie “The Preacher’s Wife” and won a Dove Award (along with Dottie).Dottie’s final album was her 71st album, “Stand by the River”. Again it was a chart topper — giving Dottie hit records through five decades. And it had the added prestige of the duet with country legend Dolly Parton, being nominated for CCMA song of the year, duet of the year, Dove nominated for Country Recorded Song of the Year, Gospel Fan Awards for Duo of the Year and Song of the Year.

Her style of music isn’t appealing to everyone, but her massive discography testifies to her love for Jesus and her desire to share Christ’s love.

During this time when we all are wondering what will be the final outcome of the coronavirus, I thought we should listen to Dottie’s song, “I Go To The Rock” because we can find peace and solace in Jesus. 

Jesus is the Rock

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? – Matthew 21:42

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PDP-8 computer

The God That Has Included You

By / 2 minutes of reading

I remember many years ago when I was freelancing, I was called into an old factory that manufactured steel components used in buildings. They had a machine that punched holes in the steel used to make girders, which wasn’t working correctly.

The company had a PDP-8 computer that controlled the punch press. They called me in to fix the machine. I dove right in to the computer to figure out what it was doing and how it worked; nobody knew. I was down in a concrete pit with a roll of steel moving past me, and every few seconds, the entire foundation thumped when the machine punched the holes. At one point, I stood up and looked around. 

Today That Factory is Gone

The entire factory was covered in steel dust, which covered hardworking men standing at WWII-era lathes, grinders, and such. It was then that I thought: “Everything I see will be gone soon.” They had one computer, and it made no sense to any of the employees. But someday that factory would be all computers. These workers were so focused on their daily jobs that they couldn’t see the big picture.

Today that factory is gone, and if you go into any steel fabrication factory, you will see designers using AutoCad®, fabricators running multi-axis CNC machines, and computers everywhere. These companies are leading in the adoption of robotics. What’s my point? You are a Quantum computer in the middle of an old factory.

You are Essential to God’s Plan

As you’re reading this devotional, take a moment to look up and look around. If you are a child of God, then you are essential to God’s plan. God is so big. God is so powerful. And God is active in all that He’s Created. 

Take courage, receive His strength, receive His love, for what you see with your eyes will all pass away. And God has included you in His kingdom and His work. As you read the following passage of Scripture, marvel at the God that has included you.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. – 1 Chronicles 29:11

Photo: Public Domain

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U-Haul truck

Separation

By / 3 minutes of reading

This devotional is quite different from what I usually write. However, I felt that someone needed to read this. Warning: I am not a certified counselor. The following are things that I’ve learned through my many, many moves.

God moves people. Let’s say it’s you. Whether it’s across the city, across the country, or to a different country, often the “left-behinds” feel betrayed or abandoned. After all, you chose your desires over theirs. They have no choice but to deal with separation. It’s different for you because, well, you’re leaving. During our travels, my wife and I left all four parents, numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends, and two of our (grown) kids. However, we were almost always the ones leaving. 

Some Powerful Emotions May Arise

Some powerful emotions usually arise from a pending separation, and those feelings may differ from the emotions the “left-behinds” feel after you’ve moved. The stages of emotions closely track the seven stages of grief. The “left-behinds” start with denial; they often skip the “pain and guilt,” but they barrel right into anger and bargaining. I once was bargained out of a move, and that did not turn out well. 

After anger, some “left-behinds” feel depression, especially a close friend or parent. Sadly, some loved ones get stuck on either anger or depression. They never make the upward turn, reimagining their life with you not in it on a daily basis. While some “left-behinds” do reach acceptance, it may take years.

Talk Face-to-Face

The best way to communicate a pending separation is, if possible, through a one-on-one conversation. Let’s face it; when you tell your best friend in the world that you’re going to leave, they won’t take it gracefully. 

In all the pains of life, there is a human need to speak, to get out all of the words boiling inside, and to find some hope to grab hold of. My wife and I have told many people to, “Just puke out your feelings, and we’ll clean the mess up later.” Let the “left-behinds” speak. Don’t interject, don’t quiet their feelings (as long as they haven’t gone postal); just let them grieve.

Kids Need Extra Care

Often, if you’re talking to a child, the hurting child thinks they can’t say what they are feeling for fear of hurting you. Talk with them if you have permission from the child’s parent(s). Help them not to shut down. They need to express their feelings, and you need to be prepared to hear them.

If you or loved ones are facing separation, then be bold. Pray for God’s wisdom and then broach the subject; sooner is better than later, provided it’s a done deal. God is in the business of healing. He can use you to bring healing to a hurting heart.

God’s Wisdom

Proverbs 12:18 (ESV), “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.“

Photo credit: JLaw45 on VisualHunt.com / CC BY

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people hugging

Human Touch

By / 3 minutes of reading / ,

2 Corinthians 13:12, “Greet each other with a holy kiss.”

People Need Human Contact

There are five references to a “holy kiss” in the New Testament. I know the idea of a “holy kiss” freaks out Americans, myself included, yet most Americans are comfortable with a hug as part of a greeting or farewell. And the European tradition of air-kissing each cheek when formally greeting someone has long been practiced. 

Every culture has its own approach to personal contact during a greeting or farewell. “The traditional Māori greeting, the hongi (pronounced hɒŋi) is performed by two people pressing their noses together; some include, at the same time, the touching of foreheads.” –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongi

By nature I’m not a hugger. Over the years I’ve learned from my wife and her family how to hug but I’m still a bit clumsy. This seemly insignificant deficiency of mine proved to be a problem during my ministry in Romania. 

I Kiss Your Hand

I was in Romania shortly after that country’s independence from the Soviet Union and the “old ways” were in full force. When formally introduced to a woman I was expected to air-kiss both cheeks. That was too much. Thankfully, a friend taught me to say “Îți sărut mâna”, meaning, “I kiss your hand.” This statement was an acceptable formal greeting. Yeah!

The Power of Touch

There’s a fascinating article in The Atlantic, titled, “Can We Touch,” which highlights the medical and psychological benefits from platonic, human touch. For example:

From a small initial study the psychologist Tiffany Field published an article in the journal Pediatrics in 1986, which showed that just ten days of “body stroking and passive movements of the limbs” for less than an hour led babies to grow 47 percent faster. They averaged fewer days in the hospital and accrued $3,000 less in medical bills. The effect has been replicated multiple times.

Tiffany Field has published similar findings about the benefits of touch in full-term infants, and then children and pregnant women, adults with chronic pain, and people in retirement homes. Studies that involved as little as 15 daily minutes found that touch alone, even devoid of the other supportive qualities it usually signifies, seems to have myriad benefits.    

Be a Hugger

So, what’s my point? With Thanksgiving and Christian nearly here, we’re entering a time when we will be meeting, greeting, and farewelling (?) lots of people. As Christians, we should always offer to hug anyone. People will let you know if they don’t want a hug. However, it seems that many people are desperate for human touch, and hugging someone might make their day and cure their cold!
( read the article 😉 )

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