Three hugs a day
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another... If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:11-12, ESV
When Elisabeth Elliot was visiting Dohnavur Fellowship in South India to do research for a book on the life of Amy Carmichael, she met a remarkable woman by the name of Pungaja who was working with the mentally incompetent although she was blind in one eye. “I have no professional training,” she explained. “The Holy Spirit gives me a new wisdom each day to deal with them. Some are like wild animals, but the Lord Himself is my helper. I can’t see on one side, but even in my weakness He has helped me.”
When Elisabeth inquired as to how she had become involved in this work, Pungaja explained that one day, tremendously burdened, she went to Amy Carmichael, Amma to the nationals. “When she hugged me,” she said, “all my burdens went away!” The Indian men and women who followed in her footsteps serving others have been a powerful witness to the life and loving concern of Amy Carmichael.
Have you ever considered the impact of a loving touch? There were times when Jesus dispelled sickness with a mere command, but on other occasions, He touched someone to express His love and healing.
Recently, medical science has discovered that there is healing in a touch. Karl Menninger, the renowned psychiatrist, demonstrated that mentally challenged individuals respond better when there is physical contact. Heart attack patients stabilize faster when a loved one is present to hold their hand, and those with cerebral palsy move more normally after receiving sensory stimulation.
One family counselor says that most teenage pregnancies could be prevented if fathers would only hug their daughters every day. In fact, one university professor prescribes three hugs a day for good mental health. “Reach out and touch someone,” encourages one phone company. That’s applied Christianity. Reach out and, in love, touch someone today! Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to info@guidelines.org. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.