Dear Friends

In an age of Safeguarding, when we are being called and trained to be extra vigilant in all of our activities (and rightly so) in the protection and support of all, it has brought to focus the area of appropriate and inappropriate physical contact. We need to be aware and take care! It can prove to be very challenging when we have to think about offering a handshake or especially a hug, however a recent visit to conduct a Sunday Service in our Circuit presented me with a situation that both made me think and brought me joy. 

At the conclusion of the service one of the worshippers cornered me and declared ' God has told me I have to give you a hug!' 

Immediately my Safeguarding training kicked in and I composed in my mind an appropriate response and position and held out my arms in response, to which a gift bag stuffed full was hooked onto my hand. With a beautiful glowing smile the 'hug giver' gave me an explanation. ' I knit hug blankets' she said, 'when God prompts me, I make them and gift them and I know God blesses people  with my knitted hugs'. Sure enough, in the gift bag I could see a beautiful hand made, soft fluffy shoulder blanket with ribbons threaded through that when pulled tight allowed the wearer to be hugged. 'It's not for you!' this wonderful lady declared, 'I have a real hug for you!' to which she duly delivered her rib-crushing embrace as she whispered in my ear, 'you pass that hug onto the person you know who who needs it!' 

This dear lady had no idea that that very afternoon I was hosting a Sunday lunch at my manse and one of my guests was a very new church member, who, without any family, struggling with the loss of her husband and anxious over diagnosis of terminal cancer was in need of a hug, if anyone was.

I was deeply moved as I presented this lady

'A knitted hug from a stranger who cares!'

With tears in her eyes she wrapped this 'hug' tightly round her shoulders and for the rest of her visit it remained, a visible gift that God knows, cares and loves and uses his people to communicate that fact. Even through knitted hugs!

May you be enveloped in the beautiful presence of His Holy Spirit, especially in your times of isolation, fear and loneliness and May God use you to be a real blessing to a stranger today!

Crawford

Rev Crawford Logan