These are my daughter's dogs, Stanley and Dudley. At the time this picture was taken they wear escaping a fish. Jerry thought he'd be funny and through a fish at them that my daughter caught. Well it wasn't funny to them. This strange thing (the fish) that Jerry threw at them was moving and flopping around. Although it was much smaller than them, size does not matter when your life is in danger. Needless to say, they jumped on my lap, figuring I could save them and calm their fear of this monstrous 4 inch fish.
A touch, a simple loving touch can be so reassuring to people as well as dogs. A loving touch can calm fears in all of us. A loving touch can heal a wounded heart. A loving touch can sooth jittery nerves. A loving touch can take away a nightmare. Sometimes when a simple loving touch can reach down into our very souls and shine a light through the darkness.
Germs!!! Stay away!! I don't want what you have!! If we do accidentally touch someone who is sick we quickly get out the antibacterial hand sanitizer. God forbid we get what they have. We ostracize those who are sick and end up making them feel much like the lepers of biblical times. We look at people who have irrational fears and we criticize them, we look at people who are crying and in pain and we walk away because we don't want to get involved. We hear screaming or someone struggling and we cross the street to avoid them.
The word, touch, can be scary. When we touch someone, we risk getting involved, we risk setting ourselves up, we risk our health. I'm glad Jesus wasn't as paranoid as we are.
Matthew 8:3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Jesus touched those whom others wouldn't. Jesus touched lepers, He touched demon possessed, He touched the sick and He touched the dead. In fact when I think about it, Jesus touched all the unclean people we normally run from.
In the Bible we are told that the greatest commandment of all is to love God and love one another. How can we love others if we are not willing to touch them? To be honest I don't think we can truly love someone without touching them. Reaching out to hold the hand of someone dying, reaching out to touch the hand of someone who is sick, reaching out to touch the hand of someone who is crying, reaching out to touch the hand of someone who is scared, reaching out to touch the hand of someone who is being physically beaten or bullied.
We never know the difference a simple, loving touch can make in a person's life. That means getting involved. Thank you God that Jesus decided to get involved in our lives. Thank you God that Jesus was willing to touch our sick and messed up hearts. Thank you God that Jesus was willing to touch those of us that no one else would dare to touch.
Instead of judging, instead of pointing fingers and snickering, instead of gossiping, instead of condemning, instead of avoiding, get involved! Touch others the way Jesus is willing to touch us. Love others the way Jesus is willing to love us.
Lord, remove all judgement away from me and help me to get involved by touching people. Help me to touch others and love others the way you touch and love us, in Jesus name I pray, amen!
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