See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
Have you ever felt like you were a grandparent’s favorite? It didn’t matter that each one of the grandchildren felt the exact same way! When that arm went around you, all you felt was love and acceptance. You felt good, protected, and that everything was right in the world. It boosted your confidence and lifted your spirit.
My youngest will make me laugh when he stands still, opens his arms, wiggles his fingers, and says, “Bring it in Mom, bring it in!” When he first did this, it cracked me up! Where did that come from? It still makes me smile each time he does it, but I also got some insight on why hugs are so important to him. I asked him what a hug meant to him, and his answer was simple…it makes him feel safe. It is his way of showing support to me or letting me know he needs that support from me. I want my boys to always feel like they have that safe place with their parents. My oldest really appreciates the one arm, manly hugs from my hubby. I never even realized how important hugging was to them!
I know some of the sweetest, thoughtful, most loving little ones. They don’t live near me so we communicate through email. Hugs are so closely related to love to them that they wanted to send an “email hug” to let me know how much they care. To them, it would make everything better if I was having a bad day. They were absolutely right; you can’t help but smile when getting hugs from your loved ones, even if they are email hugs!
When I was looking at research about hugs, it amazed me what great medicine hugs are. Also, they are free and there aren’t any negative side effects! God has lavished great love on us, so pass that love on. Don’t be afraid of being rejected, just have a loved one “bring it in” and see the difference it can make on their (and your) outlook on life.
