As I write this, I am looking out at a winter wonderland. Big, fat, fluffy flakes of snow have been falling all day and, as they land in the needles of the ponderosas that surround my home, they give me a feeling of warmth. I know — it’s snow! If I go out and shake a tree limb, cold snowflakes will cascade down on me. They’ll touch my skin, and I will not feel warmth — I will feel the cold.

I am in awe of the incredible gifts our Father has given us. The gift of touch particularly astounds me. I think about how I can feel the temperature of the room, and how I brace myself as I walk into what I know will be a cold mountain stream. The receptors found in our skin can only be described as a miracle from God.

God allows us to share His love as we reach out and touch the arm of someone who needs comfort. I find this wonderous, that we are given the gift of being able to impart His love, mercy, and hope to others. The compassion we can share through a simple touch cannot be described in words. Touch strengthens the bond of a relationship. To touch someone is to simultaneously give and receive comfort.

Senses — sight, hearing, taste, and smell — are all still developing in newborn babies – but we are born with an acute sense of touch. Touch is crucial to healthy physical and emotional development. I pray that the intricacies of how we are formed will always fill me with wonder for the God who created me and walks with me each day.

Jesus healed with His touch as He walked this earth and He restores us today through the sacrament of Holy Communion. He healed a leper in Matthew 8:2–3 — He stretched out His hand and touched him. He invited the children to come to Him, so that He might lay hands on them and pray in Matthew 19:13–15. He healed a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment in Mark 7:31–37. Jesus shares His very body and blood in Holy Communion, offering me the forgiveness of my sin.

Bell Telephone had a popular advertisement in the 1970’s and we all sang along with, “Reach out and touch someone. Reach out and just say hi.” But our Lord gave us our senses and I will credit and thank Him as I reach out to others.

Lutheran Women in Mission love to give and receive hugs. We touch others with Jesus’ love through service, prayer, and gifts from our hearts. We are blessed by God with this gift. What a pleasure it is to bless others in the same way! Touch someone today with a smile, with a word of encouragement, a hug, or a phone call — and tell them why compassion lives within you!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,

Debbie