What do you miss the most from our life before we shut down our country?  Is it freedom to do what you need or want to do?  What about connections with your church, family, and friends?  How about being able to reach out and touch or to see someone smile?

These are the questions rolling around in my head.  What made me think about this?  {sad smile}  This week my husband came home and one Prince got his COVID19 test results.  When this happened I realized that maybe I should unclench my jaw.  I think I have clenched my jaw since March 10^th, when we returned from North Carolina.

The world crashed in around me.  This imposed State of Emergency was becoming a habit.  I read about this in historical accounts of lives lived under communism and socialism.  Suddenly the rules of the State dictated my life.  A little over two weeks ago, my son started having tightness in his chest and he couldn’t fill his lungs all the way.

We called doctors and the local hospital.  None of them would see him because of COVID19.  They referred us to the nearest drive-through testing site.  After the testing, we were told to self-isolate, the entire family, and we would get the results in 3-6 days.  It also meant that my husband, who had gone to North Carolina on family business, could not return home as planned.  I missed him but; I didn’t realize what I was missing.  Things just didn’t feel right.

After five days we got the phone call:  “The test results are negative for COVID19.”  We stopped, holding our collective breaths.  That was last Wednesday.  My husband made immediate plans to come home and I went to the grocery store.  I thought I would be thrilled, but something wasn’t right.

My husband returned home early Friday morning.  He drove “down the mountain” with storms and traffic snarls, including one major accident on I-95.  When he woke late Friday morning, he wrapped me in a hug and kiss.  I found what I was missing as comfort filled my soul.  The one thing I miss most by all the virus rules, regulations, and judgments is the human touch.  I had not touched another human being in the two weeks since my husband left for the mountains.  Not even my sons.

My heart bleeds for a child that can’t hold their grandparent’s hand and for a very sick patient, whether they have the dreaded virus or not, that can’t feel someone hold their hand while they suffer.  The greatest human gift God gave me this week was my husband’s arms around my shoulders and hugs from each of my sons.

Now as you know I am an introvert.  But I’m not a Hermit!  I can go for several days without human contact.  But there is something special about the touch when we are scared, sick, hurting, or lost.  This week I stopped my “social distancing” at home.  No, I will not go out in public and make people uncomfortable.  But if you came to my home and needed a hug, I’m not going to let my fear stop me from giving you the hug you need.

God is the same way.  He touches our lives supernaturally.  He is not afraid of our rejections, hate, angst, unworthiness, sin, fear, or all the ugly parts of us.  God will not touch us if we don’t want it.  I guess that would be called spiritual social distancing. {Big smile}  Only it is we humans that push away the Spirit’s touch.

But Oh! When we open our hearts to Him…  He touches us.  His touch is recorded throughout the Bible.

He touched Isaiah’s lips and purified him – Isaiah 6:7

He touched Jeremiah’s mouth and placed His Words in Jeremiah’s mouth – Jeremiah 1:9

His Touch healed: leprosy: death; chronic sickness; acceptance; violence; unbelief; and these are only part of His touch in the book of Luke. [Luke 5:13; 7:14; 8:44; 18:15; 22:51; and 24:39]

Then John reports in the first vision:  “When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last,”” [Revelation 1:17 NABRE]

The bottom line is touch means something to our God.  Just like humans need to connect with smiles, laughter, a listening ear, and yes, a touch.  God reaches out to touch us too.  His touch is very special.  It creates and heals our broken worlds.  He is the first to touch us (knit us in our mother’s wombs – Psalm 139:13 a Psalm of David).  I pray He is the last to touch us when we leave this place.

Tonight I pray that those grandchildren that they feel a hand over theirs as they pray for their grandparents.  God holds the hand of Grandma and Grandpa, connecting the family through prayer.  I also pray for those sick and alone in hospitals and nursing homes, because of our fears, that they will feel the touch of the angel holding their hand through this isolation, and that they are comforted.

Be open to God’s touch in your life.  I pray you feel His touch today.

Blessings,

Milly