A Most Holy Hug

Are you a hugger? Some of us are, some not so much.  Some of us might actually feel like we are going though withdrawal if we don’t get our ration of hugs.  Others would rather visit the dentist than be hugged. 

In my family I have both extremes. I have one son who is not at all the hugging type. He’d rather I wave to him across the room than have to hug me. Don’t worry, I’ve gotten used to it. It’s who he is and I know he loves me… just “don’t touch me, mom!”

Another son is just the opposite. He never seems to get his hug tank filled up. When he was younger he would constantly need hugs when I was busy doing something else. I would try to meet his need for a hug but he knew it was half hearted, and sometimes only one-armed. A one-armed hug just didn’t fit the bill. He would step back and sigh, knowing I was distracted and hadn’t been totally engaged in this particular hug.  

After a while, he became frustrated that I wasn’t giving him my full attention. That’s when he came up with a title for the hug he wanted. He would come to me and ask for a FPAH .  What is an FPAH, you ask?  It stands for “full-pay-attention-hug.”  It requires my full attention and both arms. It also is understood that it must last for more than 5 seconds. This boy didn’t want to be gypped out of a real hug!

As I read the scriptures, I am reminded that God has a hug that fits this definition. As many times as I’ve read Psalm 139, I missed this for a long time. But right there it is, in verse 5.

“You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.”Psalm 139:5

That sounds like a holy hug to me. God the Father, wrapping his strong arms around me, holding me against his chest and laying his hand upon my head. I’ll take a hug like that any day!

Those of us who are huggers have had a particularly difficult time during this past year. It’s hard to hug and maintain social distance of 6 feet!  You may be feeling like my son, and need extra hugs. When you get discouraged, remember that God is your Heavenly Father and go to him for a FPAH. He never runs out of hugs.