The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.”
-Numbers 27:18, 20 NIV
Mary brought physical touch into my life in a way I had not experienced. She was a hugger and I wasn’t. I came from a physically reserved family and this was a new and awkward rhythm for me.
Having children broke apart the awkwardness. Our boys fell asleep in my arms so many times. To this day we wrestle and hug and kiss and tickle and, with the recent introduction of the Punch Buggy game into our lives, hit each other a lot.
It wasn’t until I lost Mary that I saw how much I valued touch. I’ve talked with a lot of widows and widowers and the loss of frequent, intimate touch is the most commonly felt agony.
I hug my boys more than ever. I relish the contact in soccer as much as any other aspect. Jiu-jitsu is the ultimate in physical contact in a safe environment. My romantic relationships have also taken on a greater level of attention to physical contact.
I experience God primarily through nature and people. Touching the ground and the trees and even spider webs connects me to all of God’s creation. Similarly, physical touch connects me to the whole of humanity. It is intense and can be frightening, but on the whole, I experience great love through the connection to Creation.
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